The 48-year-old father-of-three, who presents Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun and the BBC’s Escape To The Country, revealed the lung cancer had tragically spread to his brain, telling this week’s Hello magazine: ‘I don” I don’t know how long I have left.” In his first Instagram post since his announcement, Irwin said he was “overwhelmed” by the “kind messages” he received – and assured his followers he would read each one. Sharing photos of him in the countryside walking his brother-in-law’s dog, he wrote: “Overwhelmed by your kind messages, I haven’t had a chance to read them all yet, but I assure you I will. Yesterday I needed some headspace so I left the country with my brother-in-law and his dog. It was tonic. Xx’. Irwin revealed that his first warning sign of the illness came while filming A Place In The Sun in August 2020 in Italy, when his vision became blurry while driving. Doctors at home discovered he was terminal. Anticancer drugs and chemotherapy helped prolong his life. It comes after the TV presenter, who has son Rex, three, and twins Rafa and Cormac with wife Jessica, said he had chosen to keep his illness from his eldest child, saying he didn’t want to ‘fight her his innocence”. “He doesn’t need to know yet,” Irwin said, adding: “We make fun of my hair – he calls it ‘pointy heads’ – but as far as he’s concerned, his dad is normal and why should I break that. innocence?’ Irwin said his cancer will ‘catch up’ with him at some point, but he’s doing his best to ‘hold on to this day for as long as possible’ – revealing he’s teaching Rex how to ride his bike and enjoying other activities together, such as playing soccer and going to the beach. The Leicestershire-born presenter is supported by his wife Jessica, 40. He said: “Within a week of returning from filming I was given six months to live. I had to go home and tell my wife, who was looking after our babies, that she was almost alone. This was devastating. All I could do was apologize to her. I felt so responsible.’ The couple live with their three children in Newcastle, having moved there from Hertfordshire in 2020. Jonny said he had chosen to keep his illness private until now. Irwin’s case is reminiscent of Dame Deborah James’ battle with bowel cancer, which she chose to publicize to raise awareness and money for research. Jonnie Irwin has revealed he is “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of public support for the TV star following the shock announcement of his terminal cancer diagnosis. In his first Instagram post since his announcement, Irwin said he was “overwhelmed” by the “kind messages” he received – and assured his followers he would read each one. Sharing photos of him in the countryside walking his brother-in-law’s dog, he wrote: “Overwhelmed by your kind messages, I haven’t had a chance to read them all yet, but I assure you I will. Yesterday I needed some headspace so I left the country with my brother-in-law and his dog. It was tonic. xx’ A Place in the Sun presenter Jonnie Irwin, pictured with his wife Jessica, 40, and their three children, son Rex, three, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac, revealed his terminal diagnosis cancer, admitting he doesn’t. know “how much time i have left” Jonnie Irwin (pictured with eldest son Rex) told Hello magazine this month: ‘I don’t know how long I have left but I’m trying to stay positive and my attitude is I’m living with cancer, I’m not dying from it. . I put little markers – things I want to be close to.’ Private battle: Jonnie, who has three-year-old son Rex and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with wife Jessica, said he had chosen to keep his illness a secret until now “I don’t know how long I have left but I’m trying to stay positive and my attitude is I’m living with cancer, I’m not dying from it,” Irwin (pictured with wife Jessica) bravely explained. The 48-year-old, who presents Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun and the BBC’s Escape To The Country, revealed the lung cancer had spread to his brain. He was trying to work while secretly undergoing chemotherapy The 48-year-old (pictured with Jasmine Harman in 2004), presents Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun and the BBC’s Escape To The Country
From Lutterworth to Lanzarote: How former estate agent Jonnie Irwin’s TV career took off after winning hundreds to present A Place in the Sun
TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has revealed he has terminal cancer, saying he hopes sharing his terminal cancer diagnosis will inspire others to “make the most of every day”. Born in 1973, Jonnie Irwin grew up in Bitteswell, Leicestershire and attended Lutterworth Grammar School and Community College before becoming an estate agent. In 2004, Irwin was chosen from hundreds of applicants alongside co-presenter Jasmine Harman to present Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun – Home or Away. The ownership program was a surprise and widely circulated. Irwin also regularly presents the BBC’s Escape To The Country and To Buy or Not To Buy. In January 2011, Sky 1 broadcast Irwin’s own show Dream Lives for Sale, in which he helped people leave their lives in the UK to buy their dream business. Later that year, a new series of The Renovation Game began airing weekday mornings on Channel 4. As well as presenting, he is also commercial director of Judicare, which bills itself as a “specialist law firm providing legal advice to clients on all matters relating to overseas property”. Irwin married Jessica Holmes in September 2016. Together they have three sons and lived in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire before moving to Newcastle. On November 13, Irwin was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She told Hello magazine: “I don’t know how long I have left, but I’m trying to stay positive and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, I’m not dying from it.” Irwin said he had chosen to keep his illness a secret until now. He continued: “It’s gotten to the point now where I feel like I’m carrying a dirty secret, it’s become a monkey on my back. “I hope that by shaking off this monkey I can inspire people living with life-limiting perspectives to make the most of each day, help them see that you can live a positive life even though you die. One day, this will catch up with me, but I do my best to keep this day off as much as possible. I owe it to Jess and our boys. Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want to do what we can as a family.’ Irwin continued to work as much as possible. He said: “I don’t know how long I have left but I’m trying to stay positive and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it. “I put little markers, things I want to be close to. I got used to saying “Don’t plan ahead because I might not be well enough.” “But now I want to make plans. I want to create memories and capture these moments with my family because the reality is that my boys will grow up not knowing their dad and that breaks my heart.” The TV presenter is also encouraging people to take out life insurance, adding: ‘This has helped immensely and when I leave this planet I will do so knowing that Jess and the boys are in a fully paid off house and there is a bit of money to the bank to live.” Irwin appeared on A Place In the Sun from 2004 until last year and was its longest-serving presenter, alongside co-star Jasmine Harman, who is still on the show. He first appeared on the BBC’s Escape to the Country in 2010. The Channel 4 series has run for 462 episodes since it first hit UK screens in September 2000 and still has around 472,000 viewers a week, according to recent figures. After Irwin shared his diagnosis on Instagram, Harman wrote: “Words can’t fix a lot but what great words of support you had here Jonnie. I know you already know this, but I’m here for you my dear friend, and Jess and the boys. So brave. Sending lots of love. Speak soon.’ Irwin’s social media was flooded with well wishes and messages of support in the wake of the news. Former Homes Under The Hammer presenter Lucy Alexander wrote: “Jonnie. So glad to watch you and your boys here. You’re a hellava flippin amazeballs host and I’m sending you so much love and strength.’ Escape To The Country’s Nicki Chapman wrote: ‘I love you so much’, while another user posted: ‘Jonnie, so sorry to hear about you… Life is so hard, for the nicest people. Sending all our love to you and your family.’ Others said: “Sending you and your beautiful family so much love and strength. Thank you for sharing your news, I’m sure many people in a similar situation will find strength and inspiration from you.’ Irwin continued to work as much as possible while undergoing rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments. At first he was prepared to keep his diagnosis to a very select group of people, but now he has decided to share his experiences and explain the ordeal for others to learn. “Someday, that’s going to catch up with me, but I’m doing my best to keep this day off as much as possible,” Irwin said. Irwin, pictured here at the 2010 TV Choice Awards, said he got the first warning signs of his illness in 2020 Irwin’s heartbreaking story recalls presenter Dame Deborah’s battle with bowel cancer, which the mother-of-two sadly lost on June 28 this year. The journalist, 40, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016, and went on to host BBC Radio 5 Live’s You, Me and Big C podcast about her struggles with the disease. Jonnie Irwin was speaking to Hello magazine Back in May, Dame Deborah was given…
