Jonnie Irwin's widow has revealed how she told her kids their dad had died and shared their heartbreaking responses for the first time. The host of BBC One's Escape To The Country was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020 and died on February 2, 2024 at the age of 50. Jonnie left behind wife Jess and twins, Rafa and Cormac and their oldest son Rex.
In a new interview, widow Jess has bravely opened up about the moment she told their children that Jonnie was gone. The mum said she decided to talk to their eldest son Rex first before speaking to their young twins. Jess explained that the children were full of questions as they couldn't fully understand what had happened.
Speaking to the Mail Online , Jess said: "I told Rex first, that Daddy had gone to heaven, in the sky, and he ran out of the room and hid. He said, 'Why can't the spaceman bring Daddy back?' Then I told the twins. They asked, 'How did the angels carry him up to the sky?' I said, 'Angels have special powers.
' It was all toddler talk. The conversation will change as they get older." Jess said he finds comfort in how her children are dealing with it.
She said that Rex uses his sunglasses to be able to see his dad. She said: "He showed me his sunglasses. He said he could see into space with them.
'If I press this button I can see Daddy and this one lets me hear him talk. But it only works at night.' I said, 'Wow, can I borrow them?" Jess also spoke about the pain of having to watch her beloved husband slowly deteri.
