Jonnie Irwin has opened up about how he's feeling about Christmas this year, saying it may be 'tricky' due to his terminal cancer diagnosis.
Earlier this month, the former A Place In The Sun presenter publicly shared his diagnosis after being told by doctors in 2020 that his stage four lung cancer had spread to his brain and left him with just months left to live.
The 49-year-old credited his wife Jessica Holmes with helping him stay positive and focus on creating as many memories as he can with his family when the dad-of-three first shared the devastating news with fans, writes The Mirror.
Speaking in a new interview, Jonnie opened up about the approach he is taking to the upcoming festive season and paid tribute to his wife and their 'perfect partnership'.
Jonnie and Jess, 40, got married in September 2016 and share three children together - Rex, three, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac.
He said: "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. 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."
Speaking about her life after his death, Jonnie heartbreakingly admitting he wants his partner to be happy but the thought of her remarrying breaks his heart. 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.
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 - said now he is doing everything he can for his family's future.
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 - and doctors confirmed 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, 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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