BBC Escape to the Country fans emotional as Jonnie Irwin episode airs after star's death
Escape to the Country presenter Jonnie Irwin died after falling ill with cancer.
Escape to the Country: Jonnie Irwin greets keen house hunters
Escape to the Country fans shared words of sympathy while watching today's episode of the BBC show. It showed the late Jonnie Irwin presenting as he teamed up with house hunters in North Yorkshire.
He showed them around some beautiful homes in the countryside as they had a budget of £350,000 to spend on a property. Elsewhere, away from the property shopping, Jonnie also made a quick trip to the Yorkshire Dales to discover what was being done to restore and preserve one of the most environmentally important landscapes in Europe.
But while watching, fans on social media were distracted as they remembered him fondly. Posting to X (formerly Twitter) one user wrote: "Hearing Jonnie Irwin’s distinctive voice on #EscapeToTheCountry. He fought his cancer battle with dignity and no attention-seeking. God bless you, you were a brilliant presenter."
Another added: "Great to see one of the #JonnieIrwin episodes on #EscapeToTheCountry now on BBC ONE. What a top guy & presenter he was."
A third wrote: "Johnnie Irwin episode today, RIP #escapetothecountry." Another penned: "Lovely to see and hear the late Jonnie Irwin again. He was an excellent presenter of #escapetothecountry."
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The 50-year-old presenter, also known for his work on A Place in the Sun, left behind three boys - Rex, five, and three-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac - and his wife, Jessica, when he died in February.
He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020 after the disease had spread from his lungs to his brain. The property expert was initially given six months to live, but defied the odds and made his illness public after two years.
At the time he said he hoped his diagnosis would inspire people to "make the most of every day". The first sign of his illness came when his vision became blurry when driving in Italy while filming in August 2020.
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Speaking to Hello! Magazine at the time, Jonnie 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 pretty much on her own. That was devastating."
When he was receiving treatment for his illness, Jonnie was dropped from Channel 4's A Place in the Sun. However, he continued to work on BBC One's Escape to the Country and Morning Live.
Freeform Productions and Channel 4 responded at the time, as they said: "Whilst we were unable to continue to film abroad with him, we're delighted that he was able to remain as part of our team in the UK for exhibitions. We of course understand how frustrating this must be for him at this incredibly difficult time."
Escape to the Country airs weekdays on BBC One at 3pm.
