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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Jonnie Irwin shares heartbreaking admission following family bike ride

Jonnie Irwin shared a heartbreaking update as he shared a sweet memory with his three young sons, Rex, three, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two, over the weekend.

The presenter, 49, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020 but only went public with his diagnosis last November after being told that it had spread to his brain.

In a new update, the A Place In The Sun star shared a photo of himself and his boys, who he welcomed with his wife Jessica, going for a spin on an electric cargo bike.

In the Instagram post shared on Monday, the Channel 4 presenter admitted that he’s “a lot weaker these days” but thanks to his new wheels could cycle “pretty much anywhere”.

He wrote alongside the photo: “Since delivery of our @babboe_cargobike it’s been out most days.

“I’m obviously a lot weaker these days and would never be strong enough to cart these ankle biters around but with electric power assistance I can pretty much go anywhere.

“The boys love it and it’s made the nursery run fun (if I’m up in time) it’s probably cut our car use by about 50% so obviously much greener so hopefully making up for some of the naughty motors in my past.

“For me it’s allowed me to get more involved #gamechanger.”

His social media update comes almost a week after he detailed his hospice experience and discussed the importance of palliative care.

Speaking on BBC Morning Live, Irwin told Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones, he shared: “I’m really good, I have up days and down days but today is an up day. Family are great and very noisy.”

Irwin said of the hospice he’s been using: “It is a delight, it’s like a nice private hospital.

Irwin appeared on BBC’s Morning Live last week to discuss pallative care (BBC Morning Live)

“My perception of a hospice was a boiling hot room and loads of people who look frail and towards the end of their days. This is nothing of the sort, it is spacious, lots of energy, comfortable. It even has a jacuzzi bath and en-suite rooms.

“The staff are amazing, so I’ve had a really good experience.”

When asked for advice he would give to others about palliative care, he added: “First of all embrace it, I was given the choice initially of what hospital I wanted to use.

“My first experience of palliative care in a hospice was blood transfusions. I had my first one in hospital and then I was invited to use the hospice, so I thought I’d give it a go.

“I went into a lovely room, biscuits piled up beside me and I just dipped in and out. I implore people to check out the hospice, and if you have the choice to use it then use it.”

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