Jonnie Irwin shares inspiring cancer approach: ‘Take every day as a gift’

Jonnie Irwin has inspired countless people with his positivity and determination since sharing the news of his cancer diagnosis publicly.

In November last year, the A Place In The Sun presenter revealed that he was living with terminal cancer, after the tumour in his lung which he was diagnosed with in 2020 spread to his brain.

In the months since, he has frequently opened up to his fans about the quality time that he’s been spending with his wife Jessica Holmes and their three young sons, as well as the importance of palliative care.

The 49-year-old has also shared inspiring pearls of wisdom following his own experiences, including his personal approach to his diagnosis and the advice he would give to others going through similar situations to his own.

In June, the TV personality made a rare appearance at the star-studded Tric Awards in London, where he appeared in high spirits while explaining the mindset that he has every single day.

‘Today is a good day,’ he said at the time. ‘Yesterday I peeled myself out of bed and munched painkillers but so far so good today.’

He continued to The Mirror, adding: ‘I take every day as a gift and as it comes.’

Jonnie also explained at the time how much it impacted him finally speaking out about his diagnosis, as he felt as though he ‘could breathe’ as soon as he shared what he was going through.

‘As soon as I spoke out I felt I could breathe. I could talk to people about why I felt ill and why I was losing weight,’ he said.

Emphasising the impact that he hopes his platform could have on other people who have been diagnosed with cancer, he added: ‘I also wanted to show that because you have cancer it doesn’t mean you are a different person. You can still work. Look at me now!

‘I don’t think the doctors were expecting me to make 2023 but here I am and I’m available at work. And I’m especially available to parties!’

In July this year, Jonnie shared an important message about receiving care in a hospice, outlining the misconceptions that he previously had before finding out what it was like firsthand.

However, while speaking on BBC One’s Morning Live, he shared that he discovered this wasn’t the case at all in his experience.

When asked what advice he would give to people who could relate to his experiences, he answered: ‘First of all, embrace it.’

The presenter continued: ‘I implore people to check out the hospice – if you’ve got the choice of using it, then use it.

‘You have a right to a choice of a hospice if you so wish, I would encourage people to at least explore that option, because it’s not this doom and gloom operation that you might think it was.’

In November this year, Jonnie revealed in an Instagram update that his liver function was ‘heading in the right direction’ after undergoing blood tests and scans.