The brother of the late TV presenter Caroline Flack never fully recovered from her 2020 death and took his own life while under the influence of alcohol, an inquest had heard.
Paul Flack, 55, had experienced a low mood in recent years following several life events, including the death of his father in November 2025, Norfolk area coroner Johanna Thompson said.
Mr Flack was found unresponsive in the garden of his home in Norwich on Father’s Day, June 21 this year.
Paul Flack pictured with his mother, Christine, at Caroline Flack’s memorial bench in a recent documentary
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He was taken to hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead later that evening, an inquest in Norwich was told on Thursday..
In a statement read to the hearing, his partner Joanna Millington said they had been together for 32 years and had two children, aged 23 and 20.
Mr Flack had worked as a self-employed graphic designer, but Ms Millington said the industry had declined and she believed this may have contributed to his sadness.
She also spoke of the impact of his sister’s death in 2020, saying: “I don’t think Paul really recovered from this.”
Caroline Flack, who hosted Love Island and The X Factor, was found dead at her home in Stoke Newington, north-east London, on February 15, 2020, aged 40.
An inquest that year concluded she had died by suicide. The hearing was told she had discovered she would be prosecuted for assaulting her boyfriend and feared press intrusion.
In her statement, Ms Millington said Mr Flack’s father, Ian, died aged 77 in November 2025 after being diagnosed with dementia in his early 70s.
She said she had tried to encourage her partner to seek counselling.
In the week before his death, Mr Flack had drunk more than usual, Ms Millington said, although she described it as “a lovely week we had spent together”.
Caroline Flack died in 2020
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On the day he died, the couple spent time together before Ms Millington went indoors to watch a film with one of their children. Mr Flack remained in the garden drinking beer.
She described him as “incredibly loved” and said she would miss him.
The coroner said police and paramedics attended and found Mr Flack unresponsive. Ambulance records showed he was taken to hospital at 11.28pm and handed over to emergency department staff, but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Dr Tarek Ahmed, a consultant in emergency medicine, said in a statement that blood tests recorded Mr Flack’s blood alcohol level at 296 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
The coroner said there was no significant medical history recorded for Mr Flack, but noted he had experienced low mood in recent years following various life events.
She recorded his medical cause of death as an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with hanging as a contributory cause.
In a narrative conclusion, Ms Thompson said Mr Flack had taken his own life while under the influence of alcohol, adding that his intention was unknown.
No family members attended Thursday’s hearing. The coroner said they were aware of the evidence being read and were content for it to be heard in their absence.
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