Fiona Fagan first met Caroline Flack 20 years ago when they were both hired for a dance job in London. Neither of them stayed long in the dance world but they did stay in touch with each other, as Fiona told Ryan Tubridy on Monday.

"We clicked on the job. She's a real girl's girl. We really got on, we took each other's number and we just remained friends ever since. You know we went through so much together, roaming around Camden in our 20's, going to gigs, going on holiday, working together."

The friendship continued over the years, and Fiona worked with Caroline many times, including as her stylist on Love Island. Fiona made two things very clear – her complete shock at Caroline's death, and her deep affection for a much-loved friend.

 "I'm still trying to process it, to be honest. I'm still completely in shock, I think. I just can't believe that this is the end for her. I keep waking up thinking it's not really happened."

Fiona says Caroline Flack was a brilliant friend, whose mischief and joy were infectious:

"She was full of fun. She was great. Her laugh would just have you in stitches. She had this cackle that was just hilarious. She loved fun, she would always be the best one at the party, she always wanted to go and do things; she was full of life."

Now working as a stylist on Dancing with the Stars, Fiona says she hadn't seen her friend Caroline for a couple of weeks. She sent Caroline a text message on Friday the 14th, to let her know she was thinking of her. Fiona told Ryan that Caroline was a romantic soul; that was why she made sure to text her on Valentine's Day.

"When you know her, you know what she's like, she's like a big heart of love and a hopeless romantic. She loves love stories and loves movies and I just thought she would have been… I knew it was Valentine's Day, I don't know, maybe I just felt I needed to reach out."

There was no reply and Fiona subsequently learned from mutual friends that the former Love Island presenter had spoken before about the possibility of taking her own life.

"She was obviously in a bad, bad place, but no-one thought that it would happen."

Fiona says Caroline had lots of friends and lots of people who cared about her, but that in her experience, London can be a very lonely place and the entertainment industry can be harsh, no matter how many people you have around you. She says she's still in complete shock that her joyous, bubbly friend has gone.

"I can't believe I'm not going to hear her laugh again or I'm not going to see her. I'm just in shock that this is the way it ended for her."

Both Ryan and Fiona agreed that the kindness message originally posted on Caroline’s Instagram feed was the one worth salvaging from this tragic story.

"She's someone's daughter, she's someone's friend, someone's twin sister, she's someone's auntie. You know what I mean? Just be kind. […] I hope this is what's taken from this. I really, really do. I hope that because that was a famous sort of quote now that she said, I hope we all take it on board and not forget about it in two weeks’ time."

Deep sighs punctuate Fiona's words, but her determination to honour her friend Caroline Flack shines through.

"She was a friend to everyone."

You can hear Fiona Fagan's full interview with Ryan Tubridy here.

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Ruth Kennedy