Jonnie Irwin: A Place in the Sun presenter jokes he looks a ‘right state’ as he updates fans about his chemo

Jonnie Irwin has joked about looking a ‘right state’ as he updated fans about his chemotherapy journey. The ‘A Place in the Sun’ presenter, 49, announced that he had terminal lung cancer in November last year, almost two-years after his initial diagnosis.

This morning (10 April), Jonnie told his 160,000 Instagram followers how he almost missed the train after a chemotherapy appointment in Newcastle, but thanked the ‘kind guardsman’ who held the door open.

The father-of-three wrote: “Must’ve looked a right state- crazed and panicked Chemo boy dragging a wheeled case with a strange transparent shoulder bag falling down his arm and a hot crossed bun hanging from the side of his mouth attempting to run for the departing train. Thankfully the kind guardsman held the door at the far end.”

He added: “My penance was that my seat was at the opposite end so I had to walk past all the passengers who had viewed this spectacle. #walkofshame #relief”.

Fans were quick to call the television presenter an ‘inspiration’, with one commenting: “I would have given you a standing ovation 👏 ❤️ your inspirational no giving up in you Jonny Irwin 😍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏”. Another added: “You’re amazing ! If I had been a passenger . I would have looked at you and thought what a guy . Such an inspiration”.A third simply wrote: “Johnny, you’re an inspiration ❤️”.

Last month, Jonnie hosted a huge party to celebrate his 50th birthday, which is in November. A national newspaper reported that 170 friends and relatives attended the pre-birthday event.

He told the publication: “It was a great night. I chose a playlist with some great tunes from the ‘90s and 2000s and people came from all over the country and abroad.” The Escape to the Country presenter added: "I just wanted to do something to celebrate my birthday and had no idea how many people would actually turn up. It was incredible."

Jonnie rose to fame in 2004, when he was selected to co-present Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun - Home or Away, alongside Jasmine Harman. The 49-year-old has since presented episodes of BBC’s Escape to the Country and To Buy or Not to Buy, as well as his one Sky show Dream Lives for Sale.