Richard Madeley hits out at toxic social media after Caroline Flacks death saying comments she got were criminal

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GOOD Morning Britain host Richard Madeley has launched an attack on “toxic” social media in the wake of Caroline Flack’s suicide.

The 63-year-old TV presenter said some of the comments received by the former Love Island host were “literally criminal”.

Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley today called social media ‘toxic’

He said social media users would have been arrested if they repeated their posts in the street

Richard opened the show today with remarks about Caroline tragic death, and spoke about his wife Judy Finnigan, with whom he fronted This Morning for 13 years.

He said: “I’m not sure Judy would want to do the job we did today because social media is just so toxic.

“It’s all very well saying ‘don’t go on it’ – Caroline had to. It was almost part of the job description. And some of the stuff she had to read about herself was, I think, criminal. Literally criminal.

“If someone had gone up to her in the street with a megaphone and said the things they typed on social media platforms, they would have been arrested and gone to jail.”

He said some of the messages Caroline Flack received were ‘literally criminal’

The former Love Island presenter in a promo before the show in 2018

The TV star said: ‘I’m not sure Judy would want to do the job we did today’

Richard was hosting Good Morning Britain with Ranvir Singh, in place of Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.

He said: “One easy suggestion to deal with the social media platforms is to build in some algorithms. You can actually block some messages from being sent.

“The moment the algorithm recognises ‘this is an extremely abusive message’ it just won’t send it. The technology is there.”

Richard, Ranvir and showbiz reporter Richard Arnold all spoke about their shock at learning the much-loved presenter had died at the weekend.

The star posed with her beloved dog in her last Instagram post

Caroline fronting The X Factor with Olly Murs in 2015

At the ITV Gala with Love Island co-star Iain Stirling in 2017

Caroline – who was due in court next month on charges of assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton – was found dead in her new flat on Saturday.

Model Lewis, 27 denied the prosecution – with defiant Caroline determined to prove her innocence after denying assault by beating.

ITV released a statement at the weekend saying: “Everybody at Love Island and ITV is shocked and saddened by this desperately sad news.

“Caroline was a much loved member of the Love Island team and our sincere thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends.”

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on16123