Jonnie Irwin gave wife heartbreaking blessing in interview before death
Before he died Jonnie Irwin gave a heartbreaking blessing to his wife Jess for her life after he was gone.
The former A Place in the Sun presenter recently died at the age of 50, with a statement from his family being released on 2 February which confirmed the tragic news.
They said he was a 'truly remarkable soul' who had a 'kindness, warmth, and infectious spirit' that he shared with others.
Advert
Even though the presenter was gone, his loved ones said 'his love, laughter, and memories will live on'.
Tributes from his colleagues came in too, with fellow A Place in the Sun presenter Jasmine Harman writing that in his memory those who loved him could 'learn to cherish every hug, every conversation, every moment, for the priceless time we have'.
The TV presenter received a terminal lung cancer diagnosis in 2020 and was told he'd have six months to live, but he was able to outlive that prediction by some margin and made it to his 50th birthday.
In an interview he did with The Sun last year Jonnie said he'd given his wife Jess his blessing to meet someone else after he was gone.
However, in the same interview Jess said she wasn't entertaining the thought of finding someone else after Jonnie.
She said: "I can think of the support I’ll need and that sort of thing but when it comes to me, my life is the boys. That’s enough for me. That’s where my thinking stops.
"It terrifies me that I’m suddenly going to be in a house on my own, the sole adult with three young boys. The prospect of being a single mum and a widow is awful to think about.
"I never chose to do this on my own. I picked Jonnie because I knew he would be an amazing dad and life partner.
"So more than anything I’m just gutted we’re not going to have that, for both our sakes.
"I think managing the sadness around the boys is going to be something that... I will probably need some sort of help with that."
After being given his terminal cancer diagnosis Jonnie pledged to 'do as much as we can as a family', spending much of his final years with wife Jess and their children.
In addition to giving Jess his blessing should she find love again, Jonnie also expressed a wish for his three children once he was gone.
His message for sons Rex, Rafa and Corma was for them to put family first, and he outlined who he hoped they'd grow up to be in later life.
He said: "I had a tough upbringing and I’ve managed to do a lot in my life, despite that, but I don’t want them to struggle.
"I want them to have the confidence of a public school boy, but also be streetwise lads.
"They’re happy kids, they laugh, and are a lot of fun to be around."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week
Topics: Celebrity
Joe Harker