Paul Flack, the brother of late television presenter Caroline Flack, had nearly four times the legal drink-drive limit in his blood when he died at his home in Norwich, Norfolk, an inquest has heard.
The 55-year-old father of two was found hanged in his garden on June 21, three days after his birthday.
The hearing at Norfolk Coroner’s Court was told that he had a history of depression and had experienced several difficult events in his life, including the deaths of his sister and father.
Norfolk Area Coroner Johanna Thompson recorded a narrative verdict, concluding that Mr Flack had hanged himself while under the influence of alcohol.
She said his intention was unknown but noted that he had experienced periods of low mood following various life events.
Blood Alcohol Level Was Nearly Four Times the Legal Limit
Toxicology findings presented at the inquest showed that Mr Flack had 296mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
The legal drink-drive limit in England is 80mg per 100ml.
His cause of death was recorded as an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to hanging.
His daughter, Alice, 20, discovered him unresponsive at the end of the garden.
Neighbours attempted to resuscitate him before paramedics took over and transported him to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10.44pm.
Partner Described the Impact of Family Bereavements
Jo Millington, Mr Flack’s partner of 32 years, said he had been affected by a series of personal difficulties in the years before his death.
In a statement read to the inquest, she explained that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019, having previously received another cancer diagnosis.
Caroline Flack died by suicide in February 2020, and the family subsequently experienced the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Ms Millington said she did not believe her partner had fully recovered from those events.
She told the hearing that Mr Flack sometimes mentioned going to counselling but never followed through with it.
To her knowledge, he had never indicated that he intended to harm himself.
Although he usually drank alcohol at weekends without drinking excessively, Ms Millington said he had consumed more than usual during the week before his death.
Declining Graphic Design Work Contributed to His Sadness
Mr Flack had worked as a freelance graphic designer throughout his career, but the amount of work available to him had decreased in recent years.
Ms Millington said the decline had contributed to his sadness.
She also explained that he had become increasingly anxious about going out.
Mr Flack’s general practitioner, Dr Catherine Clark of West Pottergate Medical Centre in Norwich, said he reported experiencing low mood in August 2020, which he described as having worsened over approximately five years.
He was prescribed antidepressants and offered counselling but did not attend any appointments.
He was not taking prescribed medication when he died.
Daughter Found Him Unresponsive in the Garden
The inquest heard that Mr Flack and his partner had visited a neighbour’s home for supper on the evening before his death.
When they returned, he sat alone in the kitchen drinking alcohol.
The following day, the couple spent time in their garden with their son and his girlfriend.
Mr Flack remained outside into the evening.
Later that night, his daughter found him unresponsive at the end of the garden and screamed for help.
Neighbour Olive Merrill said she was alerted at approximately 10.30pm by the sound of screaming and Ms Millington calling out, “It’s Paul, it’s Paul.”
Ms Merrill said Ms Millington subsequently repeated, “His sister did this, his sister did this,” and told neighbours that Mr Flack had been in a bad mood throughout the day.
Caroline Flack Died Six Years Earlier
Caroline Flack, who was 40 when she died on February 15, 2020, had been one of Britain’s best-known television presenters.
She hosted The X Factor and Love Island, presented spin-off programmes for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and won Strictly Come Dancing.
She also received a Bafta and performed as Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago.
Her death followed an assault allegation involving her then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, a former semi-professional tennis player.
Caroline had admitted hitting him with a mobile phone during an argument after seeing a message that led her to believe he had been unfaithful.
When Burton said he would contact the police, she became distressed and injured herself before officers arrived.
Although the injury to Burton’s head did not require medical treatment, Caroline was taken to hospital, where she received care for 12 hours.
She was subsequently charged in connection with the incident.
After learning that the case would proceed despite Burton not pressing charges, she died by suicide.
Brother’s Final Social Media Post Paid Tribute to Caroline
Mr Flack’s final Instagram post, published in 2020, was dedicated to his sister.
Alongside a photograph of them together, he wrote: “This will be my last post here. May those who know feel shame for eternity. Love you Caroline.”
The siblings’ father, Ian Flack, died aged 77 in November 2025 after living with dementia, which he had been diagnosed with in his early 70s.
Mr Flack’s mother, Christine, later spoke about the family’s experiences in the documentary Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death.
She described her biggest regret as not speaking out during her daughter’s final months, when the family had been warned against voicing their opinions.
Christine said she wished she had spoken more openly before Caroline’s death, adding that losing her daughter had been the worst thing that could have happened to her.
Police Initially Treated Death as Unexplained
Norfolk Police said officers were contacted by ambulance services following concerns about the safety of a man in his 50s at a property on Sandringham Road.
The force confirmed that Mr Flack was taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10.44pm on June 21.
At the time, police described the death as unexplained but said they did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances.
No members of Mr Flack’s family attended the inquest.
