Jonnie Irwin was in good spirits when he made a rare public appearance this weekend.
The TV host, 49, attended A Place in the Sun Live in Birmingham on Saturday (September 23), an interactive event that included exhibitions, Q&As, seminars, and panel discussions across three days.
Following his terminal cancer diagnosis, which he shared publicly in November, Jonnie has been living life at a slower pace in recent months.
The father of three has no idea how long he has left to live, however doctors previously said he wouldn’t survive past 2023.
Jonnie expressed his ‘frustration’ in his most recent health report, admitting that his cancer is ‘on the march.’
Jonnie, whose small children are ignorant of his sickness, has made the most of every opportunity to spend time with his loved ones, and his excursion this weekend brought delight to people following his journey.
Fellow presenter Jasmine Harman uploaded an Instagram photo with Jonnie at the event, beaming next to him in a purple dress, while Jonnie dressed smart-casual with a shirt, jacket, and flat cap.
‘Teaming up with the one and only @jonnieirwintv at A Place in the Live in Birmingham today’, she wrote. ‘Hope to see you there!’
The web page of A Place in the Sun kept fans informed throughout the day with videos of Jonnie dazzling attendees on panels.
‘How wonderful to see you!’, the host told Jonnie as they chatted on sofas in front of a crowd.
‘Lovely to be here!’, Jonnie said excitedly.
‘Really nice to be here, back in Brum!’, he added with a Birmingham accent.
Jonnie then mentioned that the event occurred not far from his hometown of Bitteswell, where he was born.
Further footage recorded the large throng that had assembled to see Jonnie, with the room completely packed and full of joyful smiles.
Ahead of his appearance at the live event, Jonnie wrote on Instagram last night: ‘Just pulling into Brum and excited to be joining this beaut of a human tomorrow at the NEC.’
In the comments, his fans were ecstatic to see him in action with his co-star.
‘A Place in the Sun is Jonnie and Jasmine 👏❤️❤️’, one follower commented.
‘Enjoy Jonnie! The A team are back!! 👏❤️’, another said.
Jonnie, who has stated that he has felt ‘weaker’ in recent weeks, previously stated that he felt ‘pushed aside’ after the A Place in the Sun crew learnt of his disease.
Escape to the Country’s support impressed Jonnie, but A Place in the Sun was a different story.
‘But I didn’t get that support from A Place In The Sun,’ he said. ‘I told them I wanted to work. When I said I can get you doctor notes and assurances from my oncologist that I am fit to work, I was told, verbatim, “Oh, you really don’t want to go down that route, do you?”
View this post on Instagram
‘They said, “We don’t think we can get the insurance”, not, “We can’t get the insurance”, but, “We don’t think…” That broke my heart and affected my mental health.’
He claimed that the show paid him for the rest of the season but didn’t renew his contract.
Jonnie added to The Sun: ‘Within two weeks, someone else was on TV doing my job.
‘I just feel I earned a bit more from them after 18 years.’
He claimed he’s been ‘pushed to the side in favour of someone healthier’ and added: ‘That broke my heart’.
Channel 4 and Freeform later responded with the following statement: ‘No stone was left unturned in trying to enable Jonnie to continue his international filming with us during Covid but the production company were unable to secure adequate insurance cover for him.
‘We, of course, understand how frustrating this must be for him at this incredibly difficult time.’
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
