Jonnie Irwin has revealed that he has spent some time in a hospice to deal with his excruciating pain amid his terminal cancer diagnosis.
The former A Place In The Sun presenter, 49, shared how he recently travelled overseas for treatment after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020, but the medical procedure caused irreversible damage to his liver.
The much-loved TV presenter, who recently revealed he is yet to tell his three young sons about his cancer, announced last year how he is unsure how long he has left to live, following the cancer spreading to his brain.
In an interview alongside his wife Jessica Holmes, Jonnie explained in November how he is trying to stay positive as he lives with cancer and shared how he has set 'little markers' - things he wants to be around for.
Speaking in a new interview, Jonnie updated fans on his cancer battle, admitting that he has spent some time in a hospice to deal with his pain after the treatment abroad caused huge damage to his liver and the chronic pain in his back.
Due to the fact the father-of-three has not yet told his three children about his terminal diagnosis, Jonnie feels that he sometimes has to 'remove himself' from his home and his family when he is in the depths of chronic pain - and the hospice is where he can find some solace.
Even though he is fighting the biggest and hardest battle of his life, Jonnie is still putting others first after admitting that he leaves his home whenever he can when he's in pain because he feels he's 'not good to be around' and doesn't want his children to be affected by his moods.
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"I remove myself on a number of occasions because I'm not good to be around when I'm in pain," he told HELLO! Magazine.
"I'm like a bear with a sore head and I don't want them to be around that."
Discussing his death, the dad-of-three added: "It can happen at any time. I’m here to stop it for as long as possible."
Jonnie decided to go public with the heartbreaking news of his terminal diagnosis last year in order to get the "monkey off my back".
The presenter was filming a TV project in Italy when he first realised something might be wrong with his health. In August 2020 he had an incident of blurry vision whilst he was driving - with tests later confirming the dad-of-three had developed lung cancer, which had spread to his brain.
Jonnie shares children Rex, three, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with his wife Jessica Holmes, who he married in September 2016.
Speaking in his latest interview, the doting dad admitted telling his three sons about his terminal diagnosis would 'confuse' them and hasn't yet shared the awful news with them.
Ahead of Father's Day this weekend, Jonnie took to his Instagram page to share an adorable snap of himself and his three young children.
"'Father’s Day means even more to me this year. Full shoot in Hello! magazine, link in bio for my interview and video' #fathersday," the TV star captioned the moving image.
A Place In The Sun presenter Jasmine Harman was one of the first to comment on Jonnie's post, writing: "Cheeky rascals! All four of you. Honestly, this photo has got me… I’m not crying, just got something in my eye. Love you all xxx."
One of Jonnie's fans added: "Make lovely memories for your wife and children to look back on , keep making goals , that's what my dad did."
For information or support about cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.
