Jonnie Irwin has said that he “takes every day as a gift as it comes” amid his treatment for terminal cancer.
The A Place in the Sun presenter, 49, made a rare red carpet appearance at the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards on Tuesday night (27 June) in London.
Irwin also spoke about the support he has received from the BBC’s Escape To The Country production team and said they “put their arm around me” after he divulged his diagnosis.
The TV host publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his brain in November 2022, after keeping it a secret among close friends and family for two years.
He told The Mirror at the TRIC Awards: “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 previously claimed that Channel 4 “pushed him aside for someone healthier” after discovering his terminal cancer diagnosis and told him they didn’t “think they can get the insurance”.
He spoke of being “heartbroken” by the broadcaster, adding: “I just feel I’d earned a bit more from them after 18 years”.
Channel 4 representatives said the production company “were unable to secure adequate insurance cover” for Irwin.
However, Irwin had nothing but praise for Escape To The Country, which he described as “family” to him.
Jonnie Irwin on ‘Escape to the Country’— (BBC)
“With a notable exception from one production company, as soon as they found out they put their arm around me and, insurance provided, they looked for work when I could,” he said.
“So any location that was anywhere near me I was [the] first candidate for and they really helped me find work. They were understanding, especially with travel arrangements. They were so supportive, I can’t thank them enough.”
Escape To The Country was nominated for the Daytime TV award at the event, alongside A Place in the Sun. The latter won the category at the end of the night.
Prior to the winners being announced, Irwin described the production team as “family” and said the nomination was “recognition” for all their work.
“I’ve worked on Escape for coming up to 10 years, but 20 years in the industry and I’ve had the most fun and it’s the most like a family of all the shows I’ve done,” he added.
When he first revealed his diagnosis, Irwin said he “doesn’t know how long” he has left to live, but hopes he will inspire people to “make the most of every day”.
Earlier this month, he celebrated his “best ever” Father’s Day with his three sons, four-and-a-half-year-old Rex and three-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac. He shares his children with wife Jessica Holmes.
It came after he revealed in an interview with Hello! magazine ahead of Father’s Day that he has not told his sons about his terminal cancer, saying 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,” Irwin said. “Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.”
