Jonnie Irwin makes rare appearance as he smiles through ‘final months’
Posted by  badge Boss on Jun 27, 2023 - 07:58PM
Jonnie Irwin posed with Nicki Chapman, Jules Hudson and Sonali Shah at the TRIC awards amid his terminal cancer diagnosis (Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock)

attended the TRIC awards with fellow Escape to the Country stars in his ‘final months’.

The 49-year-old star announced in November he’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer, with .

At the time, the presenter was told he could only have ‘months to live’ and has been – wife Jessica Holmes, and kids, Rex, four, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac – since.

Now, it appears Jonnie is making some memories with his old colleagues from Escape to the Country; Nicki Chapman, Jules Hudson, and Sonali Shah.

The star looked at ease, as he smiled in a grey shirt, khaki jacket, and cool shades for the Television and Radio Industries Club awards, arm in arm with his friends.

Jonnie also posted a video from the event, in which Uptown Funk can be heard being played from the stage, seemingly by Fleur East.

The star looked perfectly at east at the London event (Picture: Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
Jonnie wore a hat and a smile for the occasion amid being told he’s only got ‘months’ to live (Picture: Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)

Speaking at the event on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, he told : ‘Today is a good day. Yesterday I peeled myself out of bed and munched painkillers but so far so good today.

‘I take every day as a gift and as it comes.’

The much-loved dad has shared health updates along the way, and just before he spent what will likely be his last with his children.

Speaking on the AIG Life’s , Jonnie recalled how telling his wife was ‘brutal’ and the memory lingers in his head.

He said: ‘That bloody memory stays in my head and it is brutal.

‘And all I can remember is hugging her and just saying sorry and I still feel sorry now.’

Jonnie posted a video from the event, which Uptown Funk can be heart playing (Picture: Instagram/@jonnieirwintv)

The star also confessed he has not yet told his children about his fate, as he fears doing so could ‘confuse’ them.

He shared: ‘I keep being asked, “Are you going to tell them?” but tell them what?

‘It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around. And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.’

Jonnie previously explained he initially kept his diagnosis a secret, for fear he .

Speaking on the same podcast, he said: ‘The only reason I kept it secret is because I’ve got to earn, I’ve got to feed my babies, pay the bills.

‘And as soon as you say you’ve got cancer, people just write you off.’

He added: ‘Unfortunately, one of the companies claimed they couldn’t insure and didn’t renew my contract. It left a massive hole in my income.’

Jonnie felt like he’d ‘been thrown on the scrap heap.’

This comes after Jonnie claimed he was ‘ by Channel 4 after his cancer diagnosis, saying he was left heartbroken when his contract wasn’t renewed for A Place in the Sun.