Jonnie Irwin recalls ‘devastating moment’ he told wife his cancer was terminal
A Place in the Sun’s Jonnie Irwin has shared the heartbreaking moment he told his wife Jessica Holmes about his terminal cancer diagnosis.
The Leicestershire born star was given just six months to live when he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer – which has since spread to his brain – in August 2020, and publicly shared his prognosis in November.
Previously, he recalled the moment he knew something was wrong after experiencing blurred vision while driving through Italy on the Channel 4 show.
After returning home from filming in 2020, he was given just months to live as medics revealed that the cancer had spread to his brain.
Irwin has now recalled the devastating moment his told his other half, with whom he shares children Rex, four, and three-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with, about his diagnosis.
He told Hello! magazine: “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.”
The much-loved presenter recently shared how he travelled to Turkey for treatment, but the medical procedure caused irreversible damage to his liver.
Irwin said: “It's blocked in a place they can't operate on, so there's no point fighting the cancer elsewhere if the liver's not working. It's a cruel blow. It can happen at any time. I'm here to stop it for as long as possible.”
As he continues to battle the disease, the TV star revealed he has also spent some time in a hospice to deal with the agonising pain his cancer is giving him – and has found some solace being there.
Recently, the presenter was left in tears as he revealed how he and wife Jessica, 40, have only spoken about the reality of his prognosis a couple of times after he was left at “death’s door twice” due to his cancer.
He shared on the OneChat podcast with AIG life: “The programme is to try and remain positive. Positive for me is burying my head in the sand a bit.
“Jess and I don’t talk about it much and we’ve been close to death’s door a few times now. Twice at least.
“Apart from those times we’ve not really talked about it. Financially we’re slowly getting stuff in place, transferring account details and putting stuff in her name but being positive [is] such an important factor. I do that by not talking about it too much.”
