Why I could not go public with my cancer diagnosis for two years
TV PRESENTER JONNIE URGES OTHERS TO TAKE OUT CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER
TV PRESENTER Jonnie Irwin has said he was “thrown on a scrap heap” by A Place In The Sun after telling them about his cancer diagnosis.
The Leicestershire presenter went public about his terminal cancer in November 2022, almost two-and-ahalf years after he was diagnosed.
In his most candid chat yet about the illness, he has confirmed why he kept his condition private for so long, and the advice he has for others battling cancer to avoid the struggles he has experienced.
Jonnie, 49, who grew up in Bitteswell, kept his diagnosis a secret because he said he needed to keep earning for his family and had to keep working while undergoing treatment.
He is married to Jessica and they have three young boys.
Speaking to the OneChat podcast, he said: “The only reason I kept it secret is because I’ve got to earn, I’ve got to feed my babies, I’ve got to pay my bills.
“As soon as you say you’ve got cancer, people just write you off, people just think you are going to cark it.
“If I was to continue to be able to provide for my family, I just had to keep it a secret and it was really difficult.”
The star admitted that people outside of his close circle had “no idea” he was unwell for the first 18 months following his diagnosis.
But as his condition worsened, Jonnie had to confide in his bosses at A Place In The Sun halfway through a series, the Daily Express reports.
Following this, Jonnie’s contract was not renewed and he was replaced on the show.
‘THROWN ON SCRAPHEAP’
Reflecting on that time, Jonnie was told it was an issue with insurance that led to him losing his job, but it did not provide any comfort after seeing him unceremoniously removed from the show.
He said: “Unfortunately, one of the companies claimed they couldn’t insure me and so they didn’t renew my contract and left a massive hole in my income.
“I felt like I’d been thrown on a scrapheap. They recruited within a week and then I saw someone else doing my job.”
After his diagnosis was made public, a spokesperson for the show’s production company, Freeform, justified their position on letting Jonnie go.
The spokesperson said: “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.
“Whilst we were unable to continue to film abroad with him, we’re delighted that he was able to remain as part of our team in the UK for exhibitions.
“We of course understand how frustrating this must be for him at this incredibly difficult time.”
‘TAKE OUT INSURANCE’
Jonnie also gave advice on how to avoid the situation he found himself in, saying later in the podcast that you should do your best to avoid the financial impact of cancer and the mistakes he made.
He admitted he did not have critical illness insurance when he was diagnosed, which meant he had little option but to keep working when he should have been taking time to concentrate on his family and his battle with the disease.
He said: “One of the reasons I came out and told people about my story… I want people to learn from my mistake.
“Without work, I’ve got no means of paying the bills. And if I had taken the critical illness insurance out, that could have covered my outgoings and I probably could have told the world a lot sooner.”
This meant that Jonnie missed out on living “two years of a more open lifestyle”, and he want others “to learn from that mistake”.
He added: “To be able to concentrate on your family and friends, and concentrate on the battle with cancer, and your health, or do the things you want to do is the most important thing.
“Because I didn’t have that cover, I’ve not been able to do that.
“And so I implore anyone if they’ve got the opportunity, do it now. Don’t put it off.”
Jonnie has previously described how the first warning sign of his illness came in August 2020, when he was filming in Italy and his vision became blurry.
In an interview with Hello! magazine in November last year, he said: “Within a week of flying back from filming, I was being given six months to live,” he said.
“I had to go home and tell my wife, who was looking after our babies, that she was on her own pretty much.
“That was devastating. All I could do was apologise to her. I felt so responsible.
“I don’t know how long I have left, but I try to stay positive and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it.”
To be able to concentrate on your family, your health... is the most important thing
Jonnie Irwin