Jonnie Irwin has given concerned fans the news they’ve been waiting for, as he’s confirmed he’ll be making a return to TV.
The terminally ill TV presenter said it’s “good to be back” in a beaming selfie shared to social media.
In case you weren’t up-to-speed, the former star of property shows, such as Channel 4‘s A Place in the Sun and the BBC‘s Escape to the Country, revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer after first sensing something was wrong with his health while filming for work back in 2020.
The 49-year-old said in a shocking interview back in November 2022 that he was left “heartbroken” after claiming he was “axed” from the silver screen by Channel 4 following his diagnosis.
Jonnie has been very open and candid about his journey since revealing his terminal diagnosis with the public, and is known to share lots of heartwarming family photos and treatment updates to his social media platforms.
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And it’s on social media that he’s given one of his most positive updates in a long time this week.
The dad-of-three hopped onto Instagram to let his over 220,000 followers that he’ll soon to be making a long-awaited return to TV, as he’s spent some time filming property segments up in Newcastle for BBC Morning Live.
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Alongside what is a heartwarming selfie of him on location, with the undisclosed show’s camera operator working in the background, Jonnie has admitted it’s “so good to be back”.
He wrote in his caption: “So good to be back filming for BBC Morning Live.
“We’ve just shot two short films about renovating your home and what to look out for. I think my smug smile betrays the lack of a massive commute for once, and the extra couple of hours I got in my scratcher as we filmed in Newcastle Upon Tyne.”
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Jonnie Irwin says it’s ‘good to be back’ as he confirms he’s returning to TV / Credit: BBC | Jonnie Irwin (via Instagram)
Although he admitted that he’s not too sure himself when the episodes will hit screens at this point, he’s vowed to keep his followers updated and let them know when to tune in as soon as he’s got confirmation of their air dates.
His caring fans have been sharing their well-wishes and messages of support as they reacted to the news in the comments of the Instagram post.
One fan wrote: “You are looking so well, much better than you have been for quite some time. Keep fighting the good fight”, while another echoed the same sentiment by commenting: “You look fantastic and your eyes are sparkling.”
Wayne Rooney joins the cast of Gary Neville’s The Overlap
Danny Jones
Wayne Rooney has secured a new job just a few months on from departing as Birmingham City head coach, with the Manchester United and England legend being named as the latest member of The Overlap team.
Set to join the cast of the popular Stick to Football online series alongside the likes of former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as the rest of the recurring panel.
Rooney is also set to feature on various other shows across The Overlap channel, including the likes of their regular fan debates and other interviews with athletes and well-known figures.
They announced the signing in true transfer window fashion as well.
As transfer expert Fabrizio Romano quips in the video, Rooney “has signed an agreement with The Overlap” and is expected to make his debut very soon
‘Wazza’ has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports in recent weeks and has even been spotted playing some FIFA with comedy YouTuber AngryGinge as part of his pro clubs series, but hasn’t been in a steady role since being sacked as the Birmingham manager at the start of the year.
Having already appeared as a guest in one of the most popular episodes of Stick to Football and clearly sharing a strong chemistry with his old friends – as well as the likes of fellow Scouser Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright – it looks to be a natural fit for the sport-based channel.
The 38-year-old revealed some pretty interesting details about his playing and managerial career last time around, not to mention some of the other offers he’s had since…
Rooney reiterated during his own interview that his primary focus is still on coaching and finding his next managerial role, but for the time being, he’ll be bringing the insight of another ex-pro to the popular YouTube channel.
Speaking on his latest move, the former striker said, “I’m excited to announce that I will be joining my good mate Gary Neville and the team at The Overlap to appear on the channel across some of their brilliant shows on YouTube and the podcast. I can’t wait to get started”.
With an episode from at least one of their series going out most weeks, you can expect to see the footballing legend back on the channel soon.
Featured Images — The Overlap/Wayne Rooney (via Instagram)
TV & Showbiz
Paddy McGuinness announces work-in-progress shows ahead of first stand-up tour in eight years
Danny Jones
Beloved British comic Paddy McGuinness is heading back out on his first live stand-up tour in eight years this year and has announced a new run of work-in-progress shows in preparation, including one right here in Greater Manchester.
McGuinness hasn’t been out on the live comedy circuit for the best part of a decade but announced his long-awaited return late last year, with the 50-year-old heading out on the road this October.
However, as he looks to get stage sharp shape ahead of his ‘Nearly There’ tour, Paddy has picked a pair of local North West venues for the WIP sets, with a trio of shows at The Met in Bury, as well as half a dozen over in Darwen, Lancashire.
Just like the tour itself, these are sure to go quickly.
The Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy star is playing nearly half a century of shows across the UK and Ireland from this fall onwards before closing out his tour in Dublin by April 2025.
His last tour, ‘Daddy McGuinness’ ran from 2015-16 and got pretty decent reviews across the board, with the focus largely revolving around his journey into parenthood, but his latest material is set to be quite the shift in tone.
Speaking ahead of the tour, the former Take Me Out and Top Gear host said: “It’s been eight years since my last tour and there’s lots of things to laugh about! I’m looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience, along with running the gauntlet of cancel culture, clickbait and fake news!”
Paddy also made a bit of a stir around these parts recently after he declared Bolton as still being part of Lancashire. No likey, no lighty on that one – sorry Paddy.
But never mind all that, we’re glad to see him getting back to his roots. The Farnworth-born funny man was also recently given a permanent role on BBC Radio 2 after becoming a firm favourite amongst the listenership. He will now run the 11am-1pm slot on Sundays.
As for his tour, after his warm-up shows in Bury and Darwen, the household name will be heading to The Lowry in Salford in March next year, with other nearby shows in the likes of Blackburn and Blackpool.
Tickets for Paddy McGuinness’ work-in-progress dates go on sale Friday, 3 May at 10am.
Emily Sergeant -
13th October 2023 
