Jonnie Irwin and his wife Jess have candidly opened up about their fears he was going to die following doctors' advice amid his ongoing cancer battle.
The Escape to the Country star - who went public with his diagnosis in late 2022 after the illness spread from his lung to his brain - was told six months ago he would likely miss his twin boys' third birthday just a few weeks later.
But Irwin's resilience proved doctors wrong and in a matter of days, Irwin and his family are jetting off to Spain to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Irwin has also since made record-breaking returns to Escape to the Country as well as film a number of special short films for the BBC's Morning Live.
Recalling the moment he was told he wouldn't see his sons' birthday, Irwin admitted he was on the "cusp of death".
Referring to his time in the hospice, he added: "At my weakest point I thought, ‘This is it, this is the beginning of the end’. I couldn’t eat, I had incredible pain in my back and was just skin and bones.
Jonnie Irwin stepped out at the TRIC Awards back in June 2023
GETTY
"I was just lying there in a hospice bed, sleeping a lot of the time."
Irwin's weight had gone down to six stone at the time after he'd cut out carbs, meat and sugar amid his treatment.
But ever since, Irwin's determination and resilience - aided by the fact he stopped taking morphine - led to him gaining some of his weight back.
"I remember looking in the mirror and being shocked by what I saw. I was skin and bones. I’d always been proud of my body, but I felt disgusting," Irwin told The Sun.
"I wasn’t eating and my appetite had completely gone. I knew I needed to come off the morphine. You have to take control.
"You have to tell the doctors when you’re in pain and when you need an alternative — and I’d advise anyone with cancer to do the same."
Since taking protein shakes and forcing himself out of bed each morning, Irwin now stands at 5ft 10in and weighs 8st 6lb.
His wife Jess joined Irwin for the interview - something he'd teased with a sweet snap last week - and she too admitted she feared the worst.
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Jonnie Irwin and wife Jess celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary this year
INSTAGRAM/JONNIE IRWIN
Not only did Irwin make it to see his twins' birthday, but he also managed to mark their seven-year wedding anniversary last month.
Irwin penned an adorable tribute to his other half alongside a sweet snap of the two as they headed out to mark the occasion.
