Jonnie Irwin praises NHS after shock at being asked to come for scans in leisure centre park amid cancer struggle
22 August 2023, 18:57
Cancer-stricken TV presenter Jonnie Irwin has praised the NHS after initially being shocked at being asked to go for scans in a car park.
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The A Place in the Sun star, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, was asked for an MRI scan and CT scan to monitor his condition.
Usually, patients go to hospitals for scans - but Mr Irwin was surprised to be asked to go to a leisure centre car park to be scanned by portable equipment.
The father of three took to Instagram to express his gratitude to the NHS.
"I got some scans today," he said in a video. "Not in a hospital but in a leisure centre car park. MRI and CT unit. In this, surprising."
Read more: Jonnie Irwin 'removes himself' from family home to stay in hospice amid terminal cancer
Mr Irwin wrote in a caption accompanying the video: "I actually had a great experience. We were able to park almost on the doorstep, no queue and done n dusted in under 15 minutes. Well done #nhs."
Fans of Mr Irwin expressed their support and best wishes for the TV star.
"You look really amazing Jonnie," one wrote. "Keep fighting all your fans have their hands on your back."
A second person said: "Looking really well, Johnnie, sincerely. Hope you had a good break."
A third added: "So glad it all went ok and was a positive experience for you!
"Scanxiety is a real thing, I know from experience, but when you have a good experience it certainly helps with future scans."
Another added: "You look great. Good luck keeping everything crossed."
The star was given just six months to live when he was diagnosed in August 2020. The cancer has since spread to his brain. He publicly shared his prognosis in November.
It comes after Mr Irwin described the moment he told his wife Jessica Holmes about his terminal cancer diagnosis.
In a joint interview with Jessica, Jonnie explained how he is trying to stay positive as he lives with cancer.
He told Hello! magazine: “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."
The presenter was left in tears as he revealed how he and wife Jessica, 40, have only spoken about the reality of his prognosis on a couple of occasions, after he was left at “death’s door twice”.
"The programme is to try and remain positive. Positive for me is burying my head in the sand a bit," he told the OneChat podcast with AIG Life.
"Jess and I don’t talk about it much and we’ve been close to death’s door a few times now. Twice at least.
"Apart from those times we’ve not really talked about it. Financially we’re slowly getting stuff in place, transferring account details and putting stuff in her name but being positive [is] such an important factor.
"I do that by not talking about it too much.”
