Jonnie Irwin passed away on Friday aged 50 after a three and a half year battle with terminal lung cancer.
The TV host revealed in November his cancer had spread to his brain after first being diagnosed with the disease in 2020.
Although he was originally given six months to live, cancer drugs and chemotherapy helped prolong his life and Jonnie only went public about his diagnosis two years later in November 2022.
Jonnie, who has son Rex, five, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with his wife Jessica claimed that part of the reason he kept his illness a secret for so long was out of fear he wouldn’t be able to ‘feed the babies or pay the bills.’
From filming 200 episodes of A Place In The Sun to Escape To The Country and other property shows. Here, MailOnline takes a look at his TV career.
Jonnie Irwin passed away on Friday aged 50 after a three and a half year battle with terminal lung cancer
From filming 200 episodes of A Place In The Sun to Escape To The Country (pictured) and other property shows. Here, MailOnline takes a look at his TV career
Before launching his TV career Jonnie worked for business buying and selling specialists Christie & Co.
After auditioning for the series, he was chosen to present what was then called A Place In The Sun: Home Or Away? with Jasmine Harman in 2004.
He filmed over 200 episodes during his time on the Channel 4 programmes, that was broadcast daily across many channels.
In 2010, he helped buyers find their dream home in rural areas for the BBC’s Escape To The Country. He hosted this until 2023.
The following year, he launch two of his own TV shows, Dream Lives for Sale on Sky 1, which saw people leave the UK for business, and another, The Renovation Game, which builders attempted to renovate a house with only £3,000 to spend and three days to complete the project.
Outside of presenting, he is also a commercial director for Judicare, which describes itself as a ‘specialist law firm providing clients with legal advice on all matters related to overseas property’.
He also wrote a regular column for A Place in The Sun magazine.
Jonnie saw the first warning signs of his illness while filming A Place in the Sun in August 2020, when he was driving in Italy and noticed his vision became blurry.
A crew member with him in the car was concerned at the time and took him straight to hospital where he was told he had nodules around his brain.
The TV host revealed in November his cancer had spread to his brain after first being diagnosed with the disease in 2020 and was originally given six months to live
After auditioning for the series, he was chosen to present what was then called A Place In The Sun: Home Or Away? with Jasmine Harman in 2004
In 2010, he helped buyers find their dream home in rural areas for the BBC’s Escape To The Country. He hosted this until 2023 (Jonnie pictured on Escape to The Country in 2023)
The following year, he launch two of his own TV shows, Dream Lives for Sale on Sky 1 and The Renovation Game
Jonnie saw the first warning signs of his illness while filming A Place in the Sun in August 2020, when he was driving in Italy and noticed his vision became blurry
Jonnie, who has son Rex, five, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with wife Jessica said he kept his illness a secret for a while due to fears he wouldn’t be able to ‘pay the bills’
It was upon returning to the UK that the tv presenter discovered the devastating news that he had terminal lung cancer.
He said: ‘Within a few hours I got told I had cancer. And I was like “right”.
‘Then a few hours later, my good friend Rahul was sat with me when they said it is terminal cancer and I had six months to live.
‘Do you ever hear the phrase it knocked the wind out of you? Nothing had ever done that to me and that it did it. I was just battered.’
Jonnie announced his diagnosis in an exclusive interview with Hello. He hoped that by announcing his diagnosis he might: ‘Inspire people who are living with life-limiting prospects to make the most of every day, to help them see that you can live a positive life, even though you are dying.
‘One day, this is going to catch up with me, but I’m doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible.
‘I owe that to Jess and our boys. Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want us to do as much as we can as a family.’
Once he’d gone public about his cancer diagnosis, Jonnie was let go from A Place In the Sun because they were no longer able to insure him when he was filming abroad.
He told The Sun: ‘As soon as I told A Place in the Sun about my diagnosis they paid me for the rest of the season but didn’t renew my contract.
‘They knew I wanted to carry on. That hurt. That broke my heart.’
When approached for comment, Channel 4 said at the time ‘no stone was left unturned’ to find a way for Jonnie to stay but they could not get insurance.
In a frank new interview on the OneChat podcast with AIG life, he said: ‘As soon as you say you’ve got cancer, people just write you off.’
On February 2, Jessica announced Jonnie’s passing with a snap of the couple. She wrote: ‘It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Jonnie’s passing. A truly remarkable soul, he fought bravely against cancer with unwavering strength and courage’.
‘Jonnie touched the lives of so many with his kindness, warmth, and infectious spirit. At this time, we kindly ask for the privacy of Jonnie’s family as they navigate through this profound loss. Their grief is immeasurable, and your thoughts, prayers, and support are deeply appreciated’.
‘As we remember the beautiful moments shared with Jonnie, let us celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will forever be etched in our hearts. Jonnie may be gone from our sight, but his love, laughter, and memories will live on’.
She concluded: ‘Rest in peace, dear Jonnie. You will be dearly missed, but never forgotten’.
The TV host did make surprise return to Escape to the Country amid his cancer battle
On February 2, Jessica announced Jonnie’s passing with a snap of the couple. She wrote: ‘It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Jonnie’s passing’
Bosses of Jonnie’s television shows A Place In The Sun paid tribute to the presenter on Friday following his death at the age of 50 from cancer
Bosses of Jonnie’s television show A Place In The Sun shared a tribute on Instagram after the sad news of his death broke.
Under a picture of the broadcaster, a message read: ‘Jonnie Irwin 1973 – 2024. We are heartbroken. Jonnie was a much-loved part of the A Place in the Sun family for more than 18 years – he brought joy, wit and bundles of energy to the show.
‘We will miss him terribly. Our thoughts are with Jess and the boys ad the rest of the family.’
Separately, Rob Unsworth, Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak Commissioning said in a statement: ‘Jonnie Irwin was an extraordinary man and wonderful presenter. He brought such warmth and fun to Escape to the Country, where he was a firm favourite with not just viewers, but the production team too.
‘More recently, he did some truly inspirational reports for Morning Live about his illness, tackling taboos around end of life care, and wonderfully demonstrating the limitless positivity that he brought to everything he did.
‘His kindness will be hugely missed by everyone he worked with, and we are sending all of our thoughts to his family and friends at this sad time.’
Jonnie’s former A Place In The Sun co-presenter Jasmine also shared some heartfelt words on social media.
Sharing a picture of them looking off towards a sunset, she penned: ‘Jonnie Irwin – I will always remember the first time I heard your name. When I was doing a screen test for a new show, they said “we definitely want Jonnie, but we need to find another presenter”. I wondered who this mysterious Jonnie was’.
‘We met in Cape Town, filming the pilot. You we’re so charismatic and energetic, so confident and fun. I understood immediately why they had to have you.
‘Your cheeky-chappy persona and naughty sense of humour always broke the ice and made people laugh. Everyone warmed to you and you had the incredible ability to connect with people, making them feel like they’d known you for years.
‘To begin our TV careers together was a pleasure and a privilege I will be eternally grateful for. Almost twenty years ago, as two nervous new presenters (me perhaps more nervous than you!) little did we know we know about the adventure we were about to embark on, and the friends we would become’.
‘Professionally, you were well suited to life in front of the lens. But for years, you always talked about wanting to settle down and become a dad. Your wish was granted when you met Jess. Never were you happier than in your role as husband and Dad to the most awesome three boys – you are a legend.’
Jonnie’s former A Place In The Sun co-presenter Jasmine also shared some heartfelt words on social media and shared a photo of them looking off into the sunset
She penned: ‘Jonnie Irwin – I will always remember the first time I heard your name’
She continued: ‘Life is simply not fair. We can’t reason with it; there are no answers to the question Why?
‘We can, in your memory learn to cherish every hug, every conversation, every moment, for the priceless time we have. Enjoy every breath, every sunrise and sunset, never take anything for granted, because tomorrow is not promised.
‘Jonnie, you’ve taught me so much in our time as work colleagues and as good friends. I have never admired you more than over the last few years as you’ve faced life with cancer with positivity, determination and bloody mindedness. I’ve never known anyone as strong as you. You have done yourself, your loved ones and all of us proud.
‘The world is a little darker today without you, but I will always smile when I think of you. My partner in crime, my OG co-presenter – Jonnie, I will miss you.’
From Lutterworth to Lanzarote: How former estate agent Jonnie Irwin’s TV career took off after he beat hundreds to present A Place in the Sun
TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has revealed he is suffering with terminal cancer, saying he hopes sharing his terminal cancer diagnosis will inspire others to ‘make the most of every day’
Born in 1973, Jonnie Irwin grew up in Bitteswell, Leicestershire, and attended Lutterworth Grammar School and Community College before becoming an estate agent.
In 2004, Irwin was selected from hundreds of applicants alongside co-presenter Jasmine Harman to present Channel 4’s show A Place In The Sun – Home Or Away. The property programme was a surprise hit and syndicated widely. Irwin also regularly presents the BBC’s Escape To The Country and To Buy Or Not To Buy.
In January 2011, Sky 1 broadcast Irwin’s own show called Dream Lives for Sale, in which he helped people leave their lives in the UK in order buy their dream business.
Later that year, he started a new series The Renovation Game which aired on weekday mornings on Channel 4.
Outside of presenting, he is also a commercial director for Judicare, which describes itself as a ‘specialist law firm providing clients with legal advice on all matters related to overseas property’.
Irwin married Jessica Holmes in September 2016. Together they have three sons and lived in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire before moving to Newcastle.
On November 13, Irwin was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He told Hello magazine: ‘I don’t know how long I have left, but I try to stay positive and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it.’
