Jonnie Irwin says doctors didn't expect him to live to 2023 after cancer diagnosis

Jonnie Irwin has said his doctors did not think he would live until 2023.

The A Place In The Sun star was told that he had terminal lung cancer – which has now spread to his brain – in 2020, but he waited until last year to go public with his diagnosis.

He made a rare red carpet appearance at the TRIC Awards in London earlier this week where he told the Mirror that he saw every day as a “gift”.

Read more: A Place In The Sun's Jonnie Irwin thanks fans for overwhelming support

Irwin – who has three young sons with his wife Jess – was also quoted as saying that after speaking out about his illness he felt as if he “could breathe”.

"I also wanted to show that because you have cancer it doesn't mean you are a different person,” he said.

“You can still work. Look at me now!

“I don't think the doctors were expecting me to make 2023 but here I am and I'm available at work."

Irwin has previously shared that he kept his diagnosis quiet at first because he knew he needed to earn money and was worried it would affect his career.

"As soon as you say you’ve got cancer, people just write you off, people just think you are going to cark it," he said on the OneChat podcast.

"I had to live with it as a secret. If I was to continue to be able to continue to provide for my family, I had to keep it a secret."

Read more: A Place In The Sun's Jonnie Irwin urges others to take critical illness insurance

The TV star, who is also known for the show Escape To The Country, tied the knot with his wife in 2016.

They welcomed son Rex in 2018 and twins Rafa and Cormac were born in 2020.

Watch: A Place In The Sun presenter Jonnie Irwin explains why he kept cancer diagnosis secret