Joe Harker
TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has claimed that bosses of A Place In The Sun paid him off and didn't renew his contract after they learned of his cancer diagnosis.
He had been filming episodes for the show in Italy when his vision went blurry while driving, within a week of flying back home he had been told he had just six months to live.
Diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020, the presenter has managed to keep going further than doctors predicted thanks to medication, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Although he at first decided to keep his diagnosis a secret, Irwin later revealed the heartbreaking news and said he'd decided to spend his last few months making more memories with his wife and children.
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He's said one of the most difficult things about his diagnosis is knowing that his three sons won't get to know him as they grow up.
Jonnie admitted not telling his kids about his diagnosis is 'going to catch up with me' but right now he just wants to spend as much time as he can with his family and is 'doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible'.
However, he has since said that once he informed A Place In The Sun bosses about his cancer, his time on the show came to an end.
Speaking to The Sun, Jonnie claimed that A Place In The Sun bosses paid off the rest of his contract and didn't renew his deal once he told them about his cancer, despite his wish to keep working on the show.
He said: "As soon as people find out you’ve got cancer they write you off. Yes, I have stage four and it’s terminal - but not yet, so let me live my life while I can.
"As soon as I told A Place In The Sun about my diagnosis they paid me for the rest of the season but didn’t renew my contract. They knew I wanted to carry on.
"That hurt. That broke my heart. I feel hugely let down. I can’t even watch the show now."
A Place In The Sun Production company Freeform Productions told Tyla in a statement: "Jonnie has been a hugely important part of the A Place In The Sun family for over 18 years and all of us were deeply saddened by his diagnosis.
"Much loved by everyone on the production, no stone was left unturned in trying to enable Jonnie to continue his international filming with us during Covid but the production company were unable to secure adequate insurance cover for him."
"Whilst we were unable to continue to film abroad with him, we’re delighted that he was able to remain as part of our team in the UK for exhibitions."
"We, of course, understand how frustrating this must be for him at this incredibly difficult time."
Irwin thanked his fans for all their kind wishes since he went public with his cancer diagnosis, saying he had been 'overwhelmed' by everyone getting in touch.
Former co-star Scarlette Douglas has finally been told about his condition after emerging from the I'm A Celeb jungle, she had known he was unwell but did not know the full extent of his illness.
She had not been made aware of the news while being in the jungle, but has since been informed about the heartbreaking diagnosis Jonnie received.