A Place in the Sun host Jonnie Irwin has bravely opened up about the prospect of sharing news of his terminal cancer diagnosis to his young children.
The Channel 4 star, 49, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020 but was told this year he had just 'months' to live after the disease spread to his brain.
The dad is now preparing to spend what he believes will likely be his last Christmas with wife Jess and their children; son Rex and two-year-old twins Cormac and Rafa.
Jonnie said the day will be 'extra special' for his family this year and they are planning to make as many memories as they can.
The presenter said he believes having 'blissful days of ignorance' with his little ones is more important than sharing the brutal facts.
"When I'm more frail or in bed for days we might [tell them]," he told the Daily Mail.
"If you have 20 days left, why spend them in mourning and confusion? Why not just have 15 days of pure, blissful ignorance and five days of knowing the facts? I'm still not looking forward to the chat with Rex. We're still thinking about it. I've learned that it's the best thing to do nothing if you're unsure."
Supporting her partner's decision, Jess added: "You don't have to have that conversation. Why put yourself through it?"
Jonnie went on to say that one of his main concerns right now is making sure that Jess and their boys are well cared for when he's no longer here whenever that may be.
"If she finds a good bloke to look after her and the boys that would be great," he said.
Jess said she is already fearing how much grief will consume her and the most upsetting part of Jonnie's diagnosis was having to accept that her husband of four years won't be around.
The mum sobbed as she shot down Jonnie's concerns that the kids wouldn't remember him.
"The twins won't - which is just as well because I spend most of my life telling them off," joked Jonnie.
Jonnie previously revealed the first warning sign of his illness came while he was filming A Place In The Sun in August 2020, in Italy, when his vision became blurry while driving.
The presenter said he chose to keep his illness private until this year as he did not want people to treat him differently and that he still needed to work.
After going public, Jonnie said he hoped that he could help others by sharing his experience ,offering up his tips on life insurance policies and how he is helping protect his young family for the future.
