Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth
Trial by social media is a pervasive theme in the new Disney+ documentary Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth. Headed by the late TV host’s mother, Christine Flack, it’s a haunting tale of a mother’s quest for justice in the face of unyielding public outrage.
As the host of fledgling reality show Love Island, Flack rapidly became a tabloid staple. But it was when she started dating Lewis Burton in 2019 that the scrutiny became relentless. There was even talk of the pair’s age gap (Burton was 27 and she was 39, a difference that would be inconsequential if the genders were reversed). The relationship spurred Flack’s tragic public (and ultimately personal) demise, after she was accused of assaulting Burton with a lamp. Two months later, she died by suicide.
A likeable lead, Christine is evidently traumatised by her daughter’s untimely death. For years, she has been collecting documents to clear her name; it’s shocking to hear of her findings, which contradict the initial narrative. Solicitor Paul Morris and CPS prosecutor Nazir Afzal argue that, contrary to public belief, there was no viable case against the presenter.
Though a little slow and repetitive in parts, the documentary is highly sympathetic in its portrayal of mental health and the consequences of online bullying. A diagnostic profile showed that Flack likely had bipolar disorder; though debilitating without treatment, symptoms can become non-existent with appropriate medication. Despite numerous public campaigns to spread awareness of the importance of discussing mental health, there was little empathy for Flack in those last few months of her life, from both the public and the tabloids.
The unfounded accusations against Flack elicited the ire of social media users, and the series features snippets of various YouTube armchair psychologists condemning her, a vitriol that didn’t stop with her suicide. It must be said that innumerable famous men have been accused of abuse, yet they are not cancelled or bullied; in fact, their conduct is invariably swept under the rug.
Christine does get to the truth, which paints an ugly picture of what it means to be “woman’d”, ie the drastic reversal of public opinion on a woman (Princess Diana is perhaps the most famous example). Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth is a sensitive and timely warning of the dangers of misogynistic social media witch hunts and the ongoing stigmatisation of mental illness.
Antonia Georgiou
Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth is released on Disney+ on 10th November 2025.
Watch the trailer for Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth here:
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