Jonnie Irwin’s sister has branded him an “absolute fighter” as he continues to put on a brave face amid his terminal cancer diagnosis.
The former A Place In The Sun presenter’s sister Amanda admitted that she “doesn’t know how he does it” as he vowed to make the most of every day.
The 49-year-old was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020 but only went public with it last November after being told that it had spread to his brain.
After being told that he could only have “months to live”, he has been making it his mission to spend as much time as possible with wife Jessica Holmes, and their children, Rex, four, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac.
Continuing to make memories, the TV star attended the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards on Tuesday in London and was seen joking around with his former Escape to the Country colleagues Jules Hudson, Sonali Shah and Nicki Chapman.
Sharing a video of him at the event to Instagram, fans watched as Irwin pretended to look concerned as Hudson began to undo one of the top buttons of his shirt, before he hugged him.
He captioned the post: “When Jules Hudson unbuttons the ‘2nd button’ he’s simply irresistible…”.
In response to the post, his sister commented: “How do you do it little bro! What an absolute fighter! #inspiration #proudsister.”
Away from social media, Irwin spoke to media at the event and said he considers “every day as a gift” amid his terminal cancer battle.
Speaking to The Mirror on the red carpet, hesaid: “Today is a good day. Yesterday I peeled myself out of bed and munched painkillers but so far so good today. I take every day as a gift and as it comes.”
Both Escape to the Country and A Place In The Sun were up for an award in the same category on the night with the latter walking away as the winner.
Irwin previously claimed that Channel 4, who broadcasts A Place In The Sun, had “pushed him aside for someone healthier” after discovering his terminal cancer diagnosis. He added that he was told they didn’t “think they can get the insurance”.
He said that the move had left him “heartbroken”, adding: “I just feel I’d earned a bit more from them after 18 years”.
Channel 4 representatives said the production company “were unable to secure adequate insurance cover” for Irwin.
In comparison, he said that the BBC, who are behind Escape to the Country, had been like a “family” to him.
“With a notable exception from one production company, as soon as they found out, they put their arm around me and, insurance provided, they looked for work when I could,” he explained.
“So any location that was anywhere near me I was [the] first candidate for, and they really helped me find work. They were understanding, especially with travel arrangements. They were so supportive, I can’t thank them enough.”
