Jonnie Irwin, the popular presenter of A Place in the Sun and Escape to the Country, died on Friday, February 2, 2024, at the age of 50, after a long and courageous fight with terminal lung cancer. His family announced the sad news in a statement, saying that he was a “truly remarkable soul” who touched the lives of many with his kindness, warmth, and infectious spirit.
According to Express, Jonnie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020, and later revealed that the cancer had spread to his brain. He underwent medication, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and defied the doctors’ expectations by living longer than the six months they had given him. He continued to work as much as he could, presenting home renovation programmes for BBC Morning Live and sharing his progress on social media.
His last Instagram post, on January 26, 2024, was a video of him showing off his new windows in his home in Newcastle, where he lived with his wife Jessica and their three sons Rex, Cormac, and Rafa. He said that he had changed his plans after interviewing someone who knew what they were talking about, and praised the company that installed the windows. He also mentioned that he had just returned from hospital, where he had a full body MRI scan.
He wrote: “I was tempted to spray the remaining windows, but after interviewing someone that actually knows what they’re talking about I changed my plans. This more than any other Reno has been a fluid process! Check out the film we made on Morning Live on @bbciplayer, it’s worth a watch. Look out for the episode on 13/11/23. Or go straight to Richard who’s tagged.”
He added a jaunty note to his hospital gown, and said that he was expecting to hear good news about the cricket match between India and Australia. He wrote: “This is look of a man who’s not slept for 6 nights and awaiting a full body MRI scan of at least an hour. If you haven’t had one they’re claustrophobic and omit loud random noises. Joy. Take note on attempt of a jaunty not on my gown! I’m expecting to come out to news of India all out 195! #alwaystrying #mri #livingwithcancer #nhs”
His fans and followers expressed their support and admiration for his positive attitude and resilience, and wished him well. Little did they know that it would be his final post, as he passed away just six days later.
Jonnie was best known for being a presenter on the Channel 4 property show A Place in the Sun, where he helped people find their dream homes abroad. He also hosted Escape to the Country, where he showed people the benefits of rural living in the UK. He had a keen interest in property, travel, and culture, and was always enthusiastic and friendly on screen.
He revealed his cancer diagnosis in November 2022, in an interview with The Sun, where he also claimed that Channel 4 had let him down by not renewing his contract after he told them about his condition. He said that he felt hurt and heartbroken, and that he couldn’t watch the show anymore. He said that he wanted to work, and that he had doctor’s notes and assurances from his oncologist that he was fit to work, but he was told that he didn’t want to go down that route.
