Friends of Caroline, 38, worry that she's taking a gamble on Andrew, 27, after the couple previously split over cheating claims
AFTER years matchmaking desperate reality TV wannabes, Caroline Flack is now set to marry one.
The Sun on Sunday last weekend revealed the Love Island host’s engagement to Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother housemate Andrew Brady.
Just weeks earlier Caroline, 38, had dumped him amid cheating rumours and concerns he was using her name to boost his career.
Pals worry she has taken a major gamble on Andrew, 27.
Just six months ago he told industry figures he was desperate for the trappings of fame and planned to bag a famous girl.
Her friends believe it is highly unlikely the pair will ever make it down the aisle — and certainly not in the same year Caroline’s most famous ex, Prince Harry, exchanges vows with Meghan Markle.
A friend said: “Caroline is unquestionably happy with Andrew and regards his proposal after just three months of dating incredibly romantic.
“But there remain so many question marks over him. He’s so desperate to be famous and has already been found out once.
“The fact she forgave him was a surprise, so you can only imagine what the reaction was among her friends when she broke the news surrounding the engagement. There is genuine concern.”
Yesterday his reputation was dealt a fresh blow when former girlfriend Rachael Rhodes said he planned to propose to HER just before meeting Caroline in February — then disappeared from her life.
The radio DJ said: “The last time I saw him he described our wedding, told me how many kids we were having and what colour their hair would be. He told my mum what ring he wanted to get me then, like magic, poof!”
Caroline made her name in kids’ TV before hosting ITV2 spin-offs of flagship shows I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here and The X Factor.
She stepped up to present The X Factor’s main show alongside Olly Murs in 2015, having won the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
PRINCE HARRY, 2009 – Caroline briefly dated the royal after the pair were introduced by a mutual pal.
HARRY STYLES, 2011 – They met on The X Factor and started brief romance. Harry was 17 at the time and Caroline 31.
JACK STREET, 2013-14 – Lasting around 18 months, Caroline’s relationship with the music manager is her longest since finding fame. The pair were often spotted at music festivals but he called time on their romance while she was taking part in Strictly Come Dancing.
BLUE LOGAN, 2014 – She dated Blue in the wake of winning Strictly. They spent time together in LA.
AND TWO NEARLY MEN . . . OLLY MURS – The pair were much-linked during their flirty co-hosting of The Xtra Factor and later the main show – but the pals both insist nothing happened.
JAMES ARTHUR – The singer and Caroline were rumoured to have swapped numbers after he won The X Factor in 2012.
Now she hosts Love Island, which last year became a surprise ratings winner and cultural phenomenon.
Her casting seemed perfect given Caroline’s chequered love life, which includes a headline-grabbing hook-up with another famous Harry — One Direction’s Styles. Some labelled her a cougar in 2011 for dating the singer, who is 14 years younger than her.
She has also had romances with music manager Jack Street, who guided Sam Smith’s rise to the top, and artist Blue Logan.
Caroline met Andrew in February, shortly after he was evicted from Celebrity Big Brother.
He had been desperate to appear on the show following his 2017 stint on The Apprentice. On the BBC1 show he was known more for his cockiness and lothario instinct than his business acumen.
He was “fired” in week eight, not long after bedding engaged fellow contestant Anisa Topan, who is ten years his senior.
An insider said: “As soon as The Apprentice aired Andrew was on the lookout for a showbiz agent.
“He was giving interviews with everyone on the condition every article included topless shots of him and his Instagram was mentioned.”
Andrew didn’t mind pictures of a soft-core erotic shoot he took part in after The Apprentice leaking into the public domain, perhaps believing the old adage that there no such thing as bad publicity. His thirst for stardom grew after landing his dream gig on CBB, taking the lowest fee of the housemates.
Once inside the house, Andrew was accused of having a “showmance” with Shane Jenek, better known as drag performer Courtney Act, in a bid to win over voters.
The insider added: “Alarm bells began to ring when Andrew openly enquired how to use the paparazzi to his benefit, which was so brazen many people thought he was joking. He was desperate to stay relevant after his stint in the house, fearful he would just disappear like so many reality stars who appear on Celebrity Big Brother.
“Andrew also embarked on a campaign to attract more social media followers but made it clear he was not ‘prepared to pay for them’.” Like many reality stars, he made cash and spread his name touring nightclubs, even posing in selfies for money.
It was around this time he met Caroline in a bar in East London. They soon became inseparable, giving the media hints something was going on by posting near-identical videos on Instagram.
When their relationship became public and pictures of Andrew and Caroline more frequent, the Love Island host smelled a rat.
A friend said: “Caroline had managed previously to keep her dates relatively low-key. She was rarely spotted out and about.
“But now her every move with Andrew was being captured. She even woke up one morning, opened her curtains and saw photographers outside. She’d never had that problem before.
“When she saw pics of Andrew leaning out of a window topless, for all the world to see, she confronted him about it.”
The couple split briefly, Caroline influenced by girls’ claims they had been intimate with Andrew during his nightclub appearances.
The friend added: “Andrew was so desperate for these stories to be denied, he requested that these girls were asked which part of his body he had pierced to prove they had been with him.
“Sometimes he was let off. Girls said his nipples but didn’t mention the ring in his c***.”
After a make-or-break trip to his native Cheshire, away from prying eyes, Caroline decided to give Andrew another chance.
Suddenly, nobody was capturing their every move and the kiss-and-tell stories stopped. Andrew culled thousands of glamorous followers on Instagram.
So has Caroline tamed him? And has Andrew put an end to her losing streak with men?
Those who know the telly star best pray both are true.
A pal added: “Everyone just wants the best for Caroline. She’s a hugely popular figure, not only within her friendship group but in work circles too.
“Lots of people simply want what’s best for her and don’t want her to experience any heartache.
“They all want to see her get married, settle down and be happy.”
Hopefully the Apprentice also-ran will end up being Caroline’s perfect candidate after all.
