Love Island host Laura Whitmore has hit out at a paparazzi photographer who took pictures of her while she she is “mourning” the death of Caroline Flack.
The TV presenter said the man took the photos of her and partner Iain Stirling, who narrates the ITV show, as they left the airport in Cape Town, where Love Island is filmed.
She said that the experience was “too much” and the pair “just wanted some privacy”.
— Laura Whitmore (@thewhitmore) February 20, 2020
She tweeted: “I landed in Cape Town this morning and it is the first time I’ve been with Iain since Caroline passed away.
“It’s been really hard being apart. At the airport a photographer took pictures of us both and we tried to ignore it but he continued to follow us as we got coffee and left the building.
“So I asked him would he stop as he had what he wanted. I said we were mourning a friend and could he allow us space.
“He said ‘can you give me a reaction. It’s a public place and I can take pictures if I want.’
“I have never courted the paparazzi but understand at work events it comes with the territory. But this morning was too much.
“Iain filmed him and he didn’t like it. I don’t like attacking people but we need to call people out when they do things like this.
“Iain and I just wanted some privacy.”
Whitmore, 34, paid tribute to her “vivacious and loving” friend Flack during her BBC Radio 5 Live show on Sunday.
She has known Flack for around 10 years and replaced her as the host on the current series of Love Island.
Flack was found dead at her east London home on Saturday after she took her own life at the age of 40.