Jonnie Irwin’s widow has revealed how she held her dying husband in his final moments as he listened to their children play.
Jonnie, who hosted Escape to the Country and A Place In The Sun, died in February aged 50 after a grueling battle with cancer.
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Jonnie Irwin and his loving wife JessCredit: Unknown, clearly with the picture table
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Jonnie with his three children Credit: Instagram
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The presenter hosted more than 200 shows A Place In The SunCredit: Refer to Caption
The father-of-three was diagnosed with lung cancer two years earlier, before discovering it had spread to his brain.
His wife Jess, 41, has now told of the “f***ing awful process” of his last few days and how he told family members: “I’m so sorry to leave you all.”
She told MailOnline: “‘You hear people saying ‘he passed away peacefully. It was nice’ but it wasn’t for Jonnie.
“It was a terribly horrible process. I wish I hadn’t seen it, but I had to be with him.”
Jess added: “I’m still struggling with what he went through. I can’t imagine what it’s like to know your time is up and to hear the noise of your three sons kicking a football in the driveway; you can smell the food cooking downstairs.”
She described how Jonnie was “surrounded by love” at his home in Newcastle, rather than a hospice, and had around 30 visitors who came to say goodbye to him in his final days.
But Jess also opened up about the pain of “lying next to her dying husband”, all while trying to manage their three children.
She said her husband “didn’t want to go” and “fought to the last,” but never once complained about his battle with cancer.
Jonny fronted Channel 4’s A Place in Sun from 2004 to 2021.
He was chosen from hundreds of applicants, along with Jasmine Harman, to host the series and has appeared in over 200 episodes.
A Place In The Sun Star Jasmine Harman Weeps Over Jonnie Irwin’s Death Live On Air
He married Jess in 2016 and they remained together until his tragic death earlier this year.
The couple, who met through mutual friends, learned of Jonnie’s cancer in 2020 – just two months before Jess gave birth to twins Rafa and Cormac.
Their oldest child, Rex, was also just a child at the time.
Despite his terminal diagnosis and the fact that he only had six months to live, Jonnie lived for almost three years.
But during that time he “changed his diet” and “stopped eating all the foods he loved” in an effort to focus on improving his health.
Jess also opened up about the moment she told their three children about their dad’s death.
She said they kept the children “blissfully unaware” of their father’s battle, before telling them he had been “taken to heaven by angels”.
During a glittering career, Jonnie hosted the BBC’s Escape to the Country and To Buy or Not to Buy.
He also hosted Escape to the Perfect Town and the Sky1 show Dream Lives for Sale in 2011, where he helped people leave their lives in the UK to start a business.
In addition to his television appearances, Jonnie continued to advise clients on business and property and ran a consultancy agency.
He also wrote a regular column for A Place in the Sun magazine and gave presentations at the show’s live events.
The presenter previously told The Sun of his sadness at not being able to see his children grow up.
He said in March: “I don’t think they will remember me, they really won’t.
“They’re too young and if I die this year, there’s no way they’ll have any memories. And someone else will bring them out.
“I’ve done the hard yards with them, and someone else will get the easy part.”
The tribute to his wife comes after close friend and colleague Jasmine Harmine broke down in tears as she spoke to him.
While guesting on Loose Women, the presenter’s voice cracked as she talked about her friend and recalled their first meeting.
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The couple was married for eight years Credit: INSTAGRAM
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Jonnie Irwin celebrating his early 50th birthday Credit: Jon Boast
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