Jonnie Irwin 'removes himself' from family home to stay in hospice to deal with excruciating pain
Jonnie Irwin has admitted that he sometimes 'removes himself' from the family home to stay in a hospice to deal with excruciating pain.
Last November, the former A Place In The Sun presenter announced he had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer that had spread to his brain.
Jonnie shares children Rex, three, and two-year-old twins, Rafa and Cormac, with his wife Jessica Holmes.
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Speaking in a new interview with Hello! Magazine, Jonnie has updated fans on his cancer diagnosis, admitting that he often spends time in a hospice to help with his pain.
The TV presenter returned from treatment abroad to find huge damage to his liver and chronic pain in his back.
Jonnie has yet to tell his kids about his terminal cancer diagnosis, so he says that he has to 'remove himself' from their home to deal with the pain.
He says that he is 'not good to be around' when dealing with the effects of chronic pain and doesn't want his children to be affected by his moods.
"I remove myself on a number of occasions because I'm not good to be around when I'm in pain," he said.
"I'm like a bear with a sore head and I don't want them to be around that."
In the same interview, Jonnie reiterated his desire to to make loads of memories with his three sons.
"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," he said.
"Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want us to do as much as we can as a family."
The presenter also touched on the life he wants for his three children have when he's no longer here.
"I had a tough upbringing and I’ve managed to do a lot in my life, despite that, but I don’t want them to struggle,” he told the publication.
"I want them to have the confidence of a public school boy, but also be streetwise lads. They’re happy kids, they laugh, and are a lot of fun to be around.”
As for not telling them about his prognosis, Jonnie explained: "I keep being asked, ‘Are you going to tell them?’ But tell them what? It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around.
“And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.”
Callum Jones