A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin reveals first warning sign he had terminal cancer

A Place In The Sun presenter Jonnie Irwin has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

The 48-year-old has been a regular host of the Channel 4 property show since 2004.

He revealed he was sharing his diagnosis so as to inspire other people to ‘make the most of every day’.

Speaking to Hello magazine, Jonnie said he ‘didn’t know how long he had left’ after doctors found his lung cancer had spread to his brain.

Channel 4

The first warning sign that he had cancer came while he was filming A Place In The Sun in Italy back in August 2020, after his vision became blurred when driving.

He told Hello: “Within a week of flying back from filming, I was being given six months to live.

“I had to go home and tell my wife, who was looking after our babies, that she was on her own pretty much. That was devastating.

“All I could do was apologise to her. I felt so responsible.”

Jonnie and his wife Jessica have three children together, their three-year-old son Rex and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac.

Jonnie Irwin / Instagram

Jonnie continued: “It’s got to the point now where it feels like I’m carrying a dirty secret, it’s become a monkey on my back.

“I hope that by shaking that monkey off I might inspire people who are living with life-limiting prospects to make the most of every day, to help them see that you can live a positive life, even though you are dying.

“One day, this is going to catch up with me, but I’m doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible.

“I owe that to Jess and our boys. Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want us to do as much as we can as a family.”

Jonnie Irwin / Instagram

Jonnie has has been working as much as he can, saying he’s been trying to ‘stay positive’.

He said: “I don’t know how long I have left, but I try to stay positive and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it.

“I set little markers, things I want to be around for. I got into the habit of saying ‘Don’t plan ahead because I might not be well enough.’

“But now I want to make plans. I want to make memories and capture these moments with my family because the reality is, my boys are going to grow up not knowing their dad and that breaks my heart.”