Jonnie Irwin says he's 'taking every day as a gift' amid terminal cancer diagnosis

Jonnie Irwin has opened up about how he's approaching life since receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Best known for presenting iconic British TV shows such as A Place in the Sun and Escape to the Country, Irwin revealed that he'd been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2022 - having received his official diagnosis in August 2020.

The former presenter has been very open about his experience living with the condition, and recently revealed that he's 'taking every day as a gift'.

Channel 4

Irwin attended the TRIC Awards in London yesterday (27 June) alongside his Escape to the Country co-stars - with the show having received a nomination.

Speaking to the Mirror, he opened up about how he's been feeling recently.

The presenter said: "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."

Irwin has continued to work during his treatment for his cancer - which has since spread to his brain.

On the podcast OneChat, Irwin - the father-of-three explained that he'd held off publicly revealing his diagnosis in order to keep working and financially support his family.

Alamy Stock Photo/ Doug Peters

He said: "The only reason I kept it a secret is because I’ve got to feed my babies, pay the bills. And as soon as you say you've got cancer, people just write you off.

"I had to keep on providing for my family. I was living with such a dark cloud above me... anyone outside of my tight-knit [circle] didn’t know."

In early March of this year, the presenter returned to A Place in the Sun to host a live show for the programme, which was filmed in Manchester.

His co-host, Jasmine Harman, later shared a photo of the two outside the venue, saying it had been 'a pleasure' to see him.

Elsewhere in the podcast, Irwin noted his family is 'slowly getting stuff in place' financially.

Instagram/ @jonnieirwintv

"[We're] transferring account details and putting stuff in her [Irwin's wife, Jess'] name but being positive is such an important factor," he adds. "I do that by not talking about it too much."

While he told Hello! that he's 'uncertain how long [he has] left,' Irwin does have one dying wish.

He explains: "I really want to be at home and Jess is fine with that. And apparently, I'll go peacefully when I do go. I'll just require more and more sleep.

"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."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week