Jonnie Irwin left his fans emotional on Boxing Day, as the property guru shared a festive update as he continues to defy the odds following his terminal cancer diagnosis.
Last year, Jonnie, 50, revealed he doesn’t know how long he has left after being diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020, which has since spread to his brain. In a chat with his wife Jessica Holmes, Jonnie that he was trying to stay positive and has set ‘little markers’ – things he wants to be around for.
Jonnie and Jessica, 40, who got married in September 2016, are parents to Rex, three, and two year old twins Rafa and Cormac. Thankfully, former A Place In The Sun presenter Jonnie has been able to enjoy another Christmas with his beloved family.
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instagram/ @jonnieirwintv)
Taking to Instagram on Boxing Day, Jonnie – who is currently receiving palliative care – shared a snap of himself enjoying a pint of Guinness in a local pub. The dad-of-three captioned the shot: “It’s been a while since I waited outside for the pub to open but freshly lit fires and a pint were a welcome distraction on the short walk to Christmas lunch. Hope you all had lovely days and enjoying Boxing Day as it should be. #christmas #christmasdaypint.”
“Gosh, you’re looking great, fella,” one of the star’s followers commented underneath Jonnie’s latest picture update, with another adding: “Jonnie, you’re looking wonderful! I wish you every good thing that you deserve in the weeks, months, year ahead. Cheers!” A third penned: “You’re looking great !! Cheers to you and hope you have a wonderful New Year.”
Jonnie was flooded with praise in July this year as he urged those with terminal cancer to consider hospices as day patients as he shared his own experience of receiving palliative care treatment. Appearing on BBC show Morning Live, the presenter, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020 which has since spread to his brain, explained that he is currently receiving palliative care in a hospice he describes as “spacious, energised and comfortable”.
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instagram/ @jonnieirwintv)
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Instagram)
He told hosts Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones: “I’ve been using palliative care for three years,” and “It’s the care you’re given when doctors think you won’t recover – I’ve been in palliative care since day one, when I got my diagnosis. It can take many guises – from hospital visits and chemotherapy all the way to the hospice.”
Jonnie continued to praise the staff at the private hospice he was staying in at the time as “amazing”. He also urged others living with a terminal cancer diagnosis to “embrace” visiting a hospice, assuring viewers it’s “not all doom and gloom”. “My first experience of palliative care in a hospice was when I was having blood transfusions,” Jonnie recalled. “I implore people to check out hospices – if you’ve got the choice to use them, then use them. It’s not all doom and gloom.”
Last year, Jonnie bravely shared his terminal diagnosis with the public and admitted it was like getting a “monkey off my back”. While filming in Italy, Jonnie first noticed something was wrong with his health. In August 2020, he experienced blurry vision while driving. Tests later confirmed that the father-of-three had lung cancer, which had spread to his brain.
When he revealed his diagnosis in November, Jonnie also urged others to get life insurance. He said: “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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