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Caroline Flack to be remembered in 'Strictly Come Dancing' special

Caroline Flack's 'Strictly Come Dancing' win will be remembered with a special tribute show. (Getty Images)
Caroline Flack's Strictly Come Dancing win is to be remembered with a special tribute show. (Getty Images)

Strictly Come Dancing is to celebrate Caroline Flack’s victory on the show with a special tribute to the late TV presenter.

The 40-year-old Love Island host took her own life on 15 February while awaiting trial on charges of assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton.

The BBC has announced a series of specials including Strictly: The Best Of The Final, which will pay tribute to Flack, who won the 12th series of the celebrity dance contest in 2014.

Read more: Caroline Flack was being harassed in build-up to incident that led to arrest

Flack’s former dance partner Pasha Kovalev and her dancer friend Janette Manrara will be among those sharing their memories of the late TV star, whose life was so tragically cut short earlier this year.

English television presenter Caroline Flack and her partner, Irish dancer Tristan McManus, are pictured on opening night of the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour, at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena. JANUARY 16th 2015 REF: FLW 15157 Credit: Matrix/MediaPunch /IPX
Caroline Flack won Strictly Come Dancing in 2014 and took part in the live tour in 2015. (AP)

The BBC had previously announced three other Strictly specials to fill its schedules, as the dance competition will be shorter this year due to social distancing measures put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

These are Strictly: The Best Of Movies, Strictly: The Best Of Musicals, and Strictly: The Best Of Blackpool, looking back at highlights from the past 17 years of the dance show.

Hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, each special will feature Strictly judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli, as well as the show’s professional dancers and special guests, reminiscing about their favourite moments from the show.

The BBC has also confirmed Strictly: The Christmas Countdown, revealing the 25 most memorable dances of all time as voted for by viewers.

Caroline Flack's highlights on 'Strictly Come Dancing' will be celebrated. (AP)
Caroline Flack's highlights on Strictly Come Dancing will be celebrated. (AP)

Flack died a month before she was due to face trial, accused of assaulting Burton, though he did not want the charges to go ahead.

Flack firmly denied being an abuser, and said in an unpublished social media post released by her family that the incident was an argument and accident.

An inquest recently revealed Flack had had suicidal thoughts prior to her death and had been prescribed medication for insomnia in December 2019, just after being charged.

Her family have accused the Crown Prosecution Service of pursuing a “show trial” against her because she was in the public eye.

Strictly Come Dancing – which usually lasts for 13 weeks – will return to screens in October this year.

Read more: Strictly Come Dancing’s Katya Jones discusses using PPE in rehearsals

The shorter series is due to a time period of 14 days needed to quarantine the professional dancers after they have lived together in a hotel while filming group dances.

Caroline Flack tragically took her own life at the age of 40 in February this year. (AP)
Caroline Flack took her life at the age of 40 in February. (AP)

The celebrity contestants – who may be reduced from 15 to 13 – will also be kept in a “bubble” to allow them to dance in close contact with their professional partners during the competition. And there is unlikely to be the usual live studio audience.

A spokesperson shared in a statement: "To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around COVID-19, this year’s series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual.

"The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us and further updates will be made in due course."

For confidential emotional support at times of distress, contact The Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org.