Jonnie Irwin assures fans ‘it’s not doom and gloom’ as he shares health update | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Jonnie Irwin has given a health update following his ongoing cancer battle on Morning Live to hosts Helen Skelton, Gethin Jones and Doctor Ranj Singh.

Confessing he has up and down days, the former A Place in the Sun presenter touched on receiving palliative care for the past three years.

Explaining that it’s what patients are given by doctors when they don’t believe people will recover, the 49-year-old revealed he’d been using it since day one.

Helen asked Jonnie what advice he would share for those going through the same thing as himself, or families who have a similar situation.

He replied: “First of all, embrace it. I was given a choice initially of what hospital I wanted to use.

“My first experience of palliative care and a hospice was blood transfusions, I had my first blood transfusion and then I was invited to use the hospice and I thought I’d give it a go as a day patient.

“I went into this lovely room, biscuits piled up beside me, I just dipped in and out and I implore people to check out the hospice if you’ve got the choice of using it then use it.”

He told the Morning Live host that although the service is often provided by the NHS, his hospice is mainly funded privately.

Offering some more advice to those debating going to a hospice, the 49-year-old urged people to give it a go.

“You have a right to a choice of a hospice as you so wish, I would encourage people to at least explore that option.

“Because it’s not this doom and gloom operation you might think it was.”

Giving an insight into his own hospice experience, Jonnie described it as a delight and said it was similar to a nice private hospital.

He added: “My perception of hospice was very much a boiling hot room full of people that looked frail and towards the end of their days.

“It’s nothing of the sort, it’s spacious, energised, comfortable- it’s even got a jacuzzi bath, en-suite rooms.

“The staff are just amazing, I’ve had really good experiences at my hospice.”

Jonnie was first diagnosed with cancer in 2020, although he only revealed the news publically in November last year after it spread to his brain.

Morning Live continues weekdays on BBC One from 9:15am.