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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Mia O'Hare

Jonnie Irwin's wife says their sons 'know he needs to rest' in heartbreaking admission

Jonnie Irwin's wife Jessica has heartbreakingly admitted their three sons "know he needs to rest" after lung cancer spread to his brain.

The A Place In The Sun host, 49, shares children Rex, three, and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac with his wife, who he married in September 2016.

He was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in August 2020 and announced last year he is unsure how long he has left to live after the cancer has spread.

The dad-of-three has recently revealed he is yet to tell his three young sons about his cancer, but wife Jessica says they know he needs rest.

"Jonnie is a great dad – and a big kid himself.

Jonnie and Jessica share three young boys (Instagram)

"All the boys gravitate to him when they want to show off and get his attention. They're aware that Jonnie needs his rest and can't always jump up and play football for hours, but they're more than happy snuggled up on the sofa, watching a movie," Jessica told Hello! Magazine.

"Story time is a big thing at bedtime and that is something I know Jonnie treasures with them."

The presenter has recently admitted he as already purchased his three sons their 18th birthday presents so they will remember him on the milestone day.

He has also ensured his wife and children won't have to worry about paying a mortgage.

Jonnie and Jessica moved their family from Hertfordshire to Newcastle so they could be nearer to Jessica's family amid his cancer diagnosis.

The presenter bought the house outright to ensure that his family would not have to pay a mortgage or have to worry about repaying anything to the banks.

He hopes to make it a 'cool' and 'loving' place for this three boys to grow up with their mum and near their mum's family.

Jonnie decided to go public with the heartbreaking news last year in order to get the "monkey off my back".

The presenter was filming in Italy when he first realised something might be wrong with his health.

In August 2020 he had an incident of blurry vision whilst he was driving - with tests later confirming the dad-of-three had developed lung cancer, which had spread to his brain.

He has admitted telling his three sons about his terminal diagnosis would "confuse" them and so has chosen not to.

For information or support about cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.

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