Jonnie Irwin has issued an update on his health following his diagnosis with terminal cancer.
On Monday (30 January), the 49-year-old English television presenter posted a photograph of his dinner on Instagram, writing: “For those who are worried that I’m starving myself don’t worry. I’m not.
“I’m trying to starve a tumour by blocking its feeding pathways, by taking ‘off label’ drugs as well as a tailored diet -losing weight is deffo not the aim!
“Plus exercise and key supplements with the expert help of @how_to_starve_cancer,” he said.
Irwin opened up about his terminal illness for the first time in November last year.
The presenter of Channel 4’s A Place In The Sun and the BBC’s Escape To The Country told Hello! magazine he hopes to “inspire people who are living with life-limiting prospects to make the most of every day, to help them see that you can live a positive life, even though you are dying”.
Irwin described how the first warning sign of his illness came in August 2020, when he was filming in Italy and his vision became blurry. “Within a week of flying back from filming, I was being given six months to live,” he said.
“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.”
In another interview with The Daily Mail, Irwin spoke about how his cancer has come back “so violently” that even doctors are surprised.
“I don’t know how long I have,” he said at the time, adding that doctors gave him “six months to live”.
The presenter explained that he had been given a “wonder drug” after initially being told he had six months to live: “They hoped it would keep it at bay for a bit longer, but it’s come back so violently, it’s even surprised the doctors.”
“I’ve been told I’ve got months to live,” he said. “We’re hurtling towards where we don’t want to be.”
