A Place In The Sun presenter Jonnie Irwin has been praised by Good Morning Britain viewers for his bravery after speaking out about his terminal cancer diagnosis.
The 49-year-old TV star, who is a familiar face on both the Channel 4 show and BBC show Escape To The Country, announced earlier this month that his lung cancer had spread to his brain and he was six months out, live .
Joining Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard on Thursday, Jonnie revealed he currently has no plans to share his illness with his three young children, who he shares with wife Jessica.
“It’s only recently that I’ve thought about when we’re going to tell them,” he said.
“At the moment I’m myself and I don’t think it’s necessary to tell them. Why should they know? For now, let the good times roll on as long as possible.’
Jonnie is father to son Rex, three, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two.
“I do my best to bury my head in the sand as much as possible because what’s the point of thinking about cancer for your days,” he added.
Jonnie also opened up about being sacked from A Place In The Sun after the show’s bosses claimed they couldn’t get enough insurance to cover his overseas trips.
“I feel extremely hurt,” he told the hosts. “I can work in this country. I can travel away from home for three to four days. It just broke my heart. I just didn’t think they would fight for me.’
Channel 4 and Freeform said they were “unable to secure sufficient insurance cover” to enable him to continue filming internationally during the Covid crisis.
Their joint statement read: “No stone was left unturned to enable Jonnie to continue his international filming with us during Covid, but the production company was unable to arrange adequate insurance cover for him.
“Obviously we understand how frustrating it must be for him at this incredibly difficult time.”
Good Morning Britain viewers were impressed by Jonnie’s interview and showered him with praise.
“How incredibly brave Johnny Irwin is praying for a miracle for him and his beautiful family,” wrote one.
Another said: “Jonnie is such an inspiration to others who have cancer. What a great guy.”
A third echoed a similar sentiment, adding: “So shocked and deeply saddened to hear that the beautiful @jonnieirwin is terminally ill. He is one of my favorite presenters. So sad to hear what he has had to go through. He is such a lovely brave man. His story is heartbreaking and I wish him and his family all the best!’
Source: Metro
