Jonnie Irwin vows to get to his 50th birthday after doctors gave him days to live

'They were telling me I'm done'

The A Place In The Sun presenter has been fighting terminal cancer since being diagnosed with the disease in 2020. The 49-year-old went public with his diagnoses in November and told how TV bosses dropped him.

Throughout his cancer fight, Jonnie has updated his fans on social media and shared milestone moments with his family as he continues to defy the odds. He was initially told he had just six months to live.

Despite that, he had not broken the news to his three children.

With NHS waiting lists at an all time high, Jonnie has shared his frustrations at having to wait for urgent treatment.

Just two months ago, Jonnie said the "wait for more scans is frustrating when you know the cancer is on the move again".

Jonnie's 50th birthday is now quickly approaching with the TV star planning to travel to Spain to celebrate the milestone.

Speaking to The Sun, Jonnie explained of how he was given just days to live earlier this year, saying: "One day, the oncologist, hospice doctors and a couple of nurses came in and started telling me to go home and spend time with my family.

"The penny didn’t drop at first. My ears only heard, ‘You’re going home’ because I was pretty out of it.

"It was only later I thought, ‘They were telling me I’m done’."

Speaking about how now he plans to celebrate his birthday in Spain, Jonnie said: "I never thought I’d be here. I’m really looking forward to some time with Jess and the boys.

"Lying in the hospice, I thought I’d had it. I was on the cusp of death.

"I’d never thought about dying, despite the cancer, and Jess and I don’t talk about it.

"But at my weakest point, I thought, ‘This is it, this is the beginning of the end’."

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