Russell Brand compares Love Island UK host Caroline Flack to Amy Winehouse

The Guardian

Like Flack, Brand was a host on a hit UK reality franchise (Big Brother UK). So Flack taking her life on Saturday hit home for the British comedian, who has had his own struggles with mental illness, drug use, sex addiction and eating disorder. In a lengthy blog post, Brand pointed to the late Amy Winehouse and former Big Brother UK star Jade Goody -- who died of cancer in 2009 -- who were both targeted by the British tabloids. "I am angry and sad that Caroline Flack found herself in that place," Brand wrote. "I am sad because she was a lovely little person, a real laugh, a dynamo and the idea that she had been so drained of hope by her circumstances chokes me. I am angry because I have watched this play out before with vulnerable people in the public eye and I would like to slay with some righteous sword the salacious, foaming, incessant poking, trolling judgment that chased her to the grave. The way it did with Jade Goodie, the way it did with Amy Winehouse. I know there is no single ‘media’ or ‘social media’ I know they are complex machines that comprise, by their nature, millions of participants. But our systems operate in accordance with values and the way these values are set and the consequences of these values are obviously in serious need of reevaluation. I have resigned from fame because it brought out the worst in me, vanity, insecurity, jealousy, competitiveness. Most people I’ve spoken to have comparable experiences, it’s hard to endure what celebrity does to your mental health without a robust constitution or strong counter measures to ground and protect you." ALSO: ITV launches a #BeKind campaign in response to Flack's death.