Jonnie Irwin vows to reach 50th birthday as he admits he was on 'cusp of death'

Fans of the hit Channel 4 property series Escape to the Country were left heartbroken last year after much-loved host, Jonnie Irwin, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Jonnie, 49, was first diagnosed with lung cancer back in 2020, before it spread to his brain, with him announcing the tragic news in November 2022.

And since then, the TV star and father-of-three has been bravely documenting his health journey on social media, sharing every major milestone with his fans.

Jonnie had initially been told by doctors that he wouldn't live to see his twins sons' third birthday party, which fell in July just gone.

And in May, the on-screen star was taken into St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle, where his health deteriorated dramatically.

Though he did credit the 'amazing care and lovely nurses' he received whilst believing he was encountering his last few days on Earth.

"All the signs were there that it could be the end," he told the Sun. "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.

Instagram/@jonnieirwintv

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

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

Jonnie defied all odds, however, and it's now been almost five months since he attended his sons' birthday celebration.

And he's now determined to spend the remainder of his life making memories with his family, including celebrating his own 50th birthday, which is fast approaching.

The Channel 4 star has opened up on his plan to travel to Spain to celebrate the major milestone.

Jonnie told press this week: "I never thought I’d be here. I’m really looking forward to some time with Jess and the boys."

Instagram/@jonnieirwintv

The star shares children Rex, four, and twins Rafa and Cormac, three - with his wife Jessica.

He said: "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.’"

When Jonnie first broke the news of his diagnosis with fans last year, he told Hello! Magazine that he wasn't sure how long he'd have left, but said he'd 'try to stay positive' for his family.

"My attitude is that I'm living with cancer, not dying from it," he said at the time. I set little markers – things I want to be around for [...] I'm doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible."