TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has said he was removed from hosting Channel 4's property show A Place in the Sun because of his terminal cancer diagnosis. The 49-year-old, who also fronts BBC's Escape to the Country, told Good Morning Britain that the production company cited insurance issues related to his illness as the reason for not renewing his contract.
Irwin, who has lung cancer that has spread to his brain, said he felt 'massively aggrieved' by the decision. He noted that he can still work on Escape to the Country, which involves similar travel, but was told he could not continue with A Place in the Sun because they could not secure insurance. 'It just broke my heart,' he said.
The presenter first noticed symptoms while filming in Italy in August 2020, when his vision became blurry. He initially kept his diagnosis secret for fear of losing work, which he says happened. 'I lost some work through it. So I wanted to keep it secret, because I didn't want to lose work,' he explained.
Irwin, who has a three-year-old son and two-year-old twins with his wife Jessica, said losing the presenting role affected his mental health and his ability to provide for his family. 'Every show I do now is money for my family in the future,' he said, emphasising his desire to leave earnings for them after his death.
In a joint statement, Freeform Productions and Channel 4 said Irwin has been a hugely important part of the show for 18 years and that no stone was left unturned in trying to enable him to continue filming during Covid, but adequate insurance cover could not be secured.
