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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

A Place In The Sun's Jonnie Irwin fears this Christmas will be last after terminal diagnosis

Jonnie Irwin has poignantly admitted navigating Christmas this year may be 'tricky' due to his terminal cancer diagnosis.

The former A Place In The Sun presenter, 49, publicly shared his diagnosis earlier this month, after being told by doctors how his stage four lung cancer had spread to his brain and left him with just months left to live.

Dad-of-three Jonnie credited his wife Jessica Holmes with helping him stay positive and focus on creating as many memories as he can with his family when he first shared the devastating news with fans.

Speaking in a new interview, the property expert has discussed how he is approaching the upcoming festive season and paid tribute to his wife and their 'perfect partnership'.

Jonnie Irwin revealed why he popped the question so quickly to now-wife Jessica Holmes (Instagram)

Jonnie and Jess, 40, tied the knot in September 2016 and have since gone on to welcome three children into the world together - Rex, three, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that Christmas will be tricky. I'm not saying this will be my last one because I don't know for certain," Jonnie admits in a new chat.

"I want to be here as long as I can but it could be. And I want to enjoy it and just spend time with Jess and the kids."

Jonnie plans to enjoy this Christmas with his wife and kids (Instagram)

Jonnie and Jess met through mutual friends in 2016 and were married within a year after he popped the question in India.

The TV star recently discussed the prospect of his wife going on to meet someone else in the future after his death - heartbreakingly admitting he wants his partner to be happy but the thought of her remarrying breaks his heart.

Speaking in his latest interview with The Sun, Jonnie recalled how he and Jess fell in love and revealed the reason why he asked the mum-of-three to marry him so soon after sparking up a romance in 2016.

Jonnie spoke with pride when looking back on his romance with Jess (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The doting dad often shares snaps of family life with fans online (jonnieirwintv/Instagram)

He told the publication: "I asked Jess to marry me because not only is she very pretty but classically so, but she was fun. That's not to say anyone else I've dated 'wasn't fun, but she was just on my wavelength.

"She has a great spirit of adventure and we didn't have one argument until the kids came along, and all parents fall out don't they?"

Jonnie - who recently claimed A Place In The Sun axed him when he revealed his terminal diagnosis - often shares snippets of his family life with his followers on Instagram.

Over the years, the property guru has used social media to admit working away from his three young children can be tough at times, and shared multiple sweet snaps of himself carrying out 'Daddy duties' with Rex, Rafa and Cormac.

Jonnie's three young children pictured at their family home (jonnieirwintv/Instagram)

Discussing his terminal diagnosis and death for the first time publicly with Hello! magazine, Jonnie said: "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 was filming in Italy when he first realised something might be wrong with his health. In August 2020 he had an episode of blurry vision whilst he was driving - with subsequent tests confirming he had developed lung cancer, which had spread to his brain.

Alongside going public with his diagnosis earlier this month, Jonnie is also encouraging others to take out life insurance.

"That has helped so much and when I leave this planet," the star explained in a recent interview. I’ll do so knowing Jess and the boys are in a house that is fully paid off and there’s a bit of money in the bank for them to live off."

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