How Caroline Flack paid tribute to ‘stunning soul’ Sophie Gradon on Love Island Aftersun

Warning: This text comprises dialogue of suicide which some readers might discover distressing.

Love Island is again underneath the microscope after the discharge of the Prime Video documentary The Curse of Love Island, which has a give attention to the dying of Sophie Gradon.

Sophie was one half of the primary ever same-sex couple in Love Island historical past in 2016. Simply two years after her look on the present, nevertheless, the Newcastle-born 32-year-old took her personal life.

Talking within the Prime Video documentary, a childhood buddy of Sophie’s, Steve Douglass, says he needs she had ‘by no means gone on the present’, including that after the celebrity died down, she skilled monetary difficulties and felt ‘her spark had gone’.

In The Curse of Love Island, which airs on 26 July, there’s a debate round whether or not the tribute to her from ITV was sufficient, with an episode of Love Island being devoted ‘in loving reminiscence’ to her, in addition to the late Caroline Flack talking about her dying on the post-show Aftersun.

What was Caroline Flack’s tribute to Sophie Gradon on Aftersun?

Talking forward of the primary advert break on Aftersun, Caroline – who additionally tragically took her personal life in 2020 – stated: “Tragically this week, we misplaced an attractive soul in Sophie Gradon.

“She was a stunning particular person each inside and outside, and everybody’s ideas right here at Love Island are with Sophie’s family and friends at this actually horrible time… Sophie, we’ll always remember you.”

Regardless of this tribute the documentary raises questions concerning the aftercare procedures that had been in place to help the contestants on the present.

Former Love Islander Malin Andersson, who was on season two with Sophie, stated: “There was no aftercare with love island. I did not get something.”

Malin claimed that she solely obtained a suggestion of help when Sophie died, with ITV saying in a press release they’d start ‘proactively’ examine with Love Islanders in response to her dying.

Along with Sophie and Caroline, season three contestant Mike Thalassitis additionally took his personal life in 2019.

What did Sophie’s childhood say about her tragic dying aged 32?

Talking about her dying, Sophie’s buddy Steve stated: “It’s nonetheless very uncooked… I hear a track enjoying in my automotive and I’ve to tug over as a result of it jogs my memory of her. Speaking about what occurred, it is actually tough. It isn’t one thing you simply recover from.”

He additionally claimed that she was in a ‘susceptible’ place after the present.

She was discovered useless in her mother or father’s house by her boyfriend, Aaron Armstrong, who himself took his personal life simply 20 days later.

Anton Danyluk, a contestant from season 5 of Love Island, spoke within the doc about his personal psychological well being struggles following his stint on the present and said that he at one low level tried suicide.

Anton reached out to ITV’s psychological crew throughout a tough interval of psychological well being battle, however claimed he obtained a delayed response from producers, an interplay which he says left him feeling ‘extra nugatory’,

Responding to Anton’s claims, a spokesperson for ITV stated that Anton’s alleged aftercare expertise didn’t ‘mirror their data’, including that help is offered for 14 months after leaving the villa, with ‘further assist supplied the place relevant’.

In a press release to LADbible, ITV stated: “We’re clear that we keep proactive contact with Islanders for a interval of 14 months after the collection during which they’ve appeared has ended, with further assist supplied the place relevant.”

Each episodes of The Curse of Love Island can be out there to observe on Prime Video from Sunday 26 July.

When you’ve been affected by any of those points and wish to converse to somebody in confidence, please don’t endure alone. Name Samaritans totally free on their nameless 24-hour telephone line on 116 123 or contact Innocent by visiting their web site https://harmless.org.uk.