TV property show presenter Jonnie Irwin has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and says he doesn't know how long he has left to live. The father-of-three was diagnosed two years ago but kept his illness private until now.
The host of Channel 4 ’s A Place In The Sun and the BBC ’s Escape To The Country, revealed his lung cancer had spread to his brain, reports The Mirror. Now the 48-year-old hopes sharing his diagnosis will inspire others to "make the most of every day".
Irwin revealed the first warning sign of his illness came while he was filming A Place In The Sun in August 2020 in Italy, when his vision became blurry while driving. “Within a week of flying back from filming, I was being given six months to live,” he said.
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“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."
Irwin, who shares three-year-old son Rex and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with his wife Jessica, said he had chosen to keep his illness private until now.
He told Hello magazine : “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.
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.”
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