A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin kisses wife Jessica Holmes as they enjoy family day out

Jonnie Irwin shared a kiss with his wife Jessica Holmes as he spent quality time with his family while exploring the Lake District.

The A Place In The Sun presenter, 49, who had earlier admitted the weather wasn’t up to scratch, said he was still making the most of things despite his inability to climb up on the hills around him.

Jonnie tenderly kissed Jessica on the cheek as he and their children Rex, four, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two, enjoyed the surroundings with their friends.

Couple: Jonnie Irwin shared a kiss with his wife Jessica Holmes as he spent quality time with his family while exploring the Lake District

He wrote:’Today out in the fresh air was what we all needed.

‘How I’d love to be up on those fells but staying low around the waterfalls with the family was wonderful in a different way. #thelakes.’

Jonnie had earlier posted a haunting picture of himself standing by the mist covered lakes as he looked thoughtfully down the lens of the camera.

He wrote: ‘Good job I didn’t come for the scenery. It is pretty serene all the same. #thelakes.’

Family: Jonnie tenderly kissed Jessica on the cheek as he and their children Rex, four, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two, enjoyed the surroundings with their friends

The presenter, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020, revealed his cancer diagnosis in November and said that it had spread to his brain, giving him just months to live.

He and his family have been relaxing in the lakes and earlier this month Jonnie also sought the advice of cancer survivor Jane McLelland who has written a book about how to starve cancer.

The father-of-three previously said he hoped sharing his diagnosis would inspire others to ‘make the most of every day’. 

He told Hello magazine: ‘I’m carrying a dirty secret – it’s become a monkey on my back. I don’t know how long I have left, but I try to stay positive and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it. I set little markers – things I want to be around for. I got into the habit of saying, ‘Don’t plan ahead because I might not be well enough’.

Day out: The A Place In The Sun presenter, who had earlier admitted the weather wasn’t up to scratch, said he was still making the most of things despite his inability to climb up on the hills around him

‘But now I want to make plans. I want to make memories and capture these moments with my family because the reality is, my boys are going to grow up not knowing their dad and that breaks my heart.’ 

Jonnie was diagnosed with cancer while filming Channel 4‘s A Place In The Sun in Italy in 2020. 

He had been driving when his vision became blurred and doctors at home discovered he was terminally ill. Cancer drugs and chemotherapy have helped prolong his life.

Heartbreaking: Jonnie was diagnosed with cancer while filming Channel 4 ‘s A Place In The Sun in Italy in 2020

The Leicestershire-born presenter is being supported by Jessica. He said: ‘Within a week of flying back from filming, I was being given six months to live. I had to go home and tell my wife, who was looking after our babies, that she was on her own pretty much. That was devastating. All I could do was apologise to her. I felt so responsible.’

Jonnie said he had chosen to keep his illness private until now. His case is reminiscent of Dame Deborah James’ battle with bowel cancer, which she chose to make public to raise awareness and funds for research.

He said: ‘I might inspire people who are living with life-limiting prospects to make the most of every day, to help them see that you can live a positive life, even though you are dying. One day, this is going to catch up with me, but I’m doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible.

 ‘I owe that to Jess and our boys. Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want us to do as much as we can as a family.’

Couple: Jonnie and Jess tied the knot within 12 months of meeting in 2016 after Jonnie convinced his new love to hand in her notice at work and go travelling with him