Crowds gather at Flackstock Festival as Caroline Flack’s celeb pals celebrate her life

Caroline Flack's life has been remembered and celebrated at a festival dedicated to her with the one-day event attracting big names from music and entertainment

Fans, friends and family of the late Caroline Flack have joined together to remember her and celebrate her life in a one-off festival.

Flackstock is the brainchild of Caroline's mother Christine as well as her sister Jody, close friends Dawn O'Porter, Natalie Pinkham, Anna Blue, Sarah Tyekiff and Leigh and Jill Francis.

The festival celebrates her life with acts from the worlds of comedy, dance and music - who are raising funds for charities Mind, Samaritans, Choose Love and the Charlie Waller Trust.

The event took place today with the likes of Louise Redknapp, Olly Murs, Dermot O'Leary, Rylan Clark-Neal and Fleur East among those set to appear at Englefield House, near Pangbourne.

Caroline Flack's life celebrated by fans, friends and family at Flackstock Festival

Opening the event, Caroline's sister Jody told the crowd that everyone performing was a friend of Caroline's, saying it was an ideal day "full of dancing".

She told the PA news agency: "This is who she was, this is what she liked, we are sort of encapsulating her today.

"We have tried to do that from the very beginning, our motto was 'What would Caroline do' the whole way through.

"Today is definitely a good day, there is a lot of bad ones there have been but today is a good one."

Jody added that there would "hopefully" be another Flackstock in the future.

Singer Pixie Lott dedicated Use Somebody by Kings of Leon to Flack, telling the crowd: "We are all here for the amazing Caroline Flack, I love you so much Cazza."

Writer Dawn O'Porter said about the concept of the festival: "She was such a loved TV personality and I think her death affected so many people, I think it reminded people that what you see is not necessarily what you get.

"I think everyone assumed that Caroline was extremely okay when she wasn't and I think a lot of people have taken a lot from that.

"She loved festivals more than anything in the world so we thought she should just get her one of her own."

Darren Everest, Lockie Chapman, Mark Franks and Mike Crawshaw of The Overtones perform at The Flackstock Festival

Image:

( WireImage)

Dawn continued: "The line-up is mostly her friends, Caroline knew so many people and especially doing The X Factor the amount of people she knew from all the jobs she did so we got together and just asked everyone and pretty much everyone we asked said yes.

"In terms of trying to book a line-up it really came to us. It is everything I expected but it is so emotional, I keep going up and down."

TV presenter Natalie Pinkham, who was one of the festival's creators, said: "We didn't get the chance to give her a proper send-off like so many people we didn't get that opportunity, but I think there is a wider issue here which is mental health, I think Covid and lockdown proved that no-one is impervious to mental health struggles.

"We really wanted to make the conversation a positive one but push it forward. The BeKind hashtag trended after she died but I didn't want it to be a transient thing and I think it is so important to bolster it with something a couple years on.

Natalie continued: "I dreamt about Caroline a lot after she died and this idea came about bringing friends and family together a bit like a memorial service but also that raises a lot of money and awareness for mental health causes.

"It has been a really positive amazing process. Everyone we asked said yes and that is testament to her personality and how positive Caroline was but also how much people want to counter all the negativity, its been great."

Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and her husband Aljaz Skorjanec performed a routine to Footloose before teaching the crowd, along with Joel Dommett and Keith Lemon on stage, some Salsa moves.

Caroline Strictly in 2014 alongside her professional partner Pasha Kovalev and Alijaz said about being at the festival: "We were really lucky that we became such great friends after Strictly.

"I think it was meant to be, we started hanging out straight after the show, especially Janette and Caroline they were close so its a beautiful feeling to be here today in her memory and celebrate what she loved doing so much, music festivals and dancing she would have loved that."

Louise Redknapp was one of the big stars performing at Flackstock

Image:

( PA)

Janette added: "Every time we hung out non-work wise the first thing she would do was pop on a song start singing, start dancing, she loved music, she loved singing and dancing so I think today is a perfect celebration of that part of her.

"I think every single person performing today knew how special she was and that's probably why the yes's came so quick. She loved being at festivals so what better way to celebrate her than having one."

TV presenter Rylan Clark also took to the stage, telling the crowd: "I tell you what if she was here she wouldn't remember any of it, you know what she was like. This is unreal.

"When they asked me to come I said absolutely even though I have a 6pm flight to Scotland."

Stars who were performing at the festival had taken to social media to pay tribute to the TV presenter, who took her own life aged 40, in 2020.

Louise Redknapp shared a photo of her and Caroline on Twitter, saying: "Today is all for you my girl. See you later @flackstock, let's do our girl proud!"

Natalie Imbruglia tweeted: "In honour of Caroline Flack I'm performing at Flackstock Festival," followed by three heart emojis.

Fleur East performs on stage at Flackstock

Image:

( WireImage)

Christine previously explained why it was important to continue to celebrate Caroline, who had hosted Love Island among other TV shows, saying it was the "perfect way to remember her singing, dancing and most of all laughing".

She added: "My Caroline was never more herself or happier than at a music festival with her sister and her friends."

The festival will also be covered by a TV documentary and an insider said: “Caroline’s friends and family want people to talk about mental health so more tragedies don’t happen.

“The festival is a really positive thing and a celebration of Caroline’s life as well as an opportunity to tell people who are suffering that it is OK they feel like that and they’re not alone.”

It was also announced that Sky were recording the festival for a documentary broadcasting in August.

Funds raised will be equally split between the charities Choose Love, Mind, Samaritans and the Charlie Waller Trust.

The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.

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