A Place in the Sun presenter Jonnie Irwin says he has been "overwhelmed" by the support from fans after revealing he had terminal cancer.
In an interview with Hello! magazine at the weekend, the dad-of-three shared the news he had just months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The bombshell news left fans, friends and colleagues heartbroken, with thousands sharing messages of support.
Now Jonnie has taken to Instagram to thank his 74,200 followers for their support. The 48-year-old admitted he hasn't had a chance to read all the messages as he has tried to deal with a whirlwind few days, reports The Mirror.
He added: "Overwhelmed by your kind messages, not had the chance to read them all yet but I assure you I will.
"Yesterday I needed some headspace so I escaped to the country with my brother in law and his dog. It was a tonic. Xx"
Colleague Danni Menzies sent messages of support to Jonnie yesterday, calling her fellow presenter a "ledge" and sharing a picture of the pair together.
She went on to say: "So incredibly brave to share you’re diagnosis with the world.
"A true inspiration to us all to cherish all the moments we can with the people we love. Love and laughs always to you and your gorge fam."
Jonnie was filming in Italy in August 2020 when he first realised something might be wrong, as he suffered blurred vision whilst he was driving. Subsequent tests confirmed he had developed lung cancer, which had spread to his brain.
He told Hello! magazine: "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."
In the interview, he revealed why he feels now is the time to go public.
He added: "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."
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