The mother of tragic Love Island host Caroline Flack has revealed she still receives well wishes from complete strangers three years after the star's suicide.

On the third anniversary of the presenter's death, mum Chris Flack has told of the lasting impact of her daughter's life.

The television personality - known to her family as Carrie - grew up in rural Norfolk and despite moving away, always had close connections to the region.

She took her own life on February 15, 2020 following a decline in her mental health sparked by a controversial criminal charge brought against her and subsequent media attention.

But her death saw a wave of support for her family and she become the face of a 'Be Kind' movement on social media, urging people to be more respectful of celebrities.

And three years on, Mrs Flack, who lives in Norwich, revealed her daughter's legacy is thriving.

She said: "I think her legacy is amazing - I still have complete strangers approach me in the street and tell me how much Carrie meant to them and offer me their sympathy.

"She has a memorial bench and people from as far away as Scotland and Holland have left notes for her there.

"It is clear she touched so many lives and continues to do so."

However, for Mrs Flack and her family the healing process has been a long one - and one without end.

She added: "Every year around Christmas and then Valentine's Day all I can think about is Carrie.

"Because it happened so soon after Christmas, it becomes a constant reminder.

"These are supposed to be happy occasions all about family and love, but they are among the hardest times of year for me.

"It is just awful but all I can do is try and get through it day to day.

"Every now and then I hear of something or see something that makes me angry all over again.

"I do get a great deal of support from my family and Carrie's friends though - there are many people who clearly loved her very much."

Speaking exclusively to the Eastern Daily Press, Mrs Flack also reacted to her daughter being mentioned in Prince Harry's autobiography.

The pair briefly dated and Miss Flack received fond words in 'Spare', with Prince Harry describing her as "funny and loving".

However, the prince's comments received criticism from the Strictly champion's former agent.

But Mrs Flack said: "Her and Harry clearly had a very nice relationship and I think she really understood him.

"They were really close friends and he has gone through a lot of the same things she did with the media."

Mrs Flack has previously spoken out against celebrities being abused on social media - and she reiterated this as she remembered her daughter.

She said: "People should not be allowed to just write things about people that are not true, or treat them badly.

"Things are just done to celebrities without pausing to think that there is a human being at the end of the things being said.

"It is just not right."

Her comments come after she received a formal apology from the Met Police for the way the force handled her complaints into her daughter's treatment.

After Mrs Flack went to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the Met was rapped for not keeping a clear record of the reasons it decided to charge Miss Flack when the Crown Prosecution Service called for a caution.

Mrs Flack said: "I feel now that I would not call the police for anything - I've lost all faith."