A Place in the Sun tragedies from son's death to partner heartbreak

Channel 4's hit property show A Place in the Sun has been a staple on our screens since 2002, helping Brits trade their grey skies for sunnier climes abroad.

However, the programme has seen its fair share of heartbreak over the years.

The tragic loss of Jonnie Irwin

Beloved presenter Jonnie Irwin tragically passed away on 2 February 2024, aged just 50, after a courageous three-year battle with terminal lung cancer.

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Jonnie first shared his heartbreaking diagnosis with fans in November 2022, admitting he "didn't know how long" he had left to live. He was initially diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020, which later spread to his brain, resulting in a terminal prognosis, reports the Express.

Despite his bleak diagnosis, Jonnie remained upbeat, setting 'little markers' - milestones he wanted to witness. He decided to go public with his health struggle to "get the monkey off my back".

He revealed he was filming in Italy when he first noticed something was wrong. In August 2020, while driving, he experienced an episode of blurry vision.

Subsequent tests confirmed the devastating news - he had developed lung cancer, which had metastasised to his brain.

In 2022, Jonnie publicly announced his cancer diagnosis and claimed that the producers of A Place in the Sun had dropped him as presenter after 18 years due to his terminal illness.

In 2024, a family spokesperson confirmed his passing, stating: "It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Jonnie's passing. A truly remarkable soul, he fought bravely against cancer with unwavering strength and courage.

"At this time, we kindly ask for the privacy of Jonnie's family as they navigate through this profound loss. Their grief is immeasurable, and your thoughts, prayers, and support are deeply appreciated. As we remember the beautiful moments shared with Jonnie, let us celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will forever be etched in our hearts."

Emotional confession

On the episode of the programme aired on 29 January 2025, a guest was moved to tears after making an emotional confession.

Married couple Jesica and Karl were on the hunt for the perfect family home in Spain's Costa de la Luz - with a budget of £95,000, they were open to various suggestions from host Jasmine Harman.

However, before their house hunt began, Jesica and Karl revealed one of the real reasons behind their move from Manchester to Spain.

In the early moments of the episode, Karl revealed the tragic loss of his son, a heartbreak that partly motivated their move. As they shared their painful story with Jasmine, the host offered words of comfort, labelling the situation as "heartbreaking".

The couple eventually settled on the fifth property they viewed - a two-bedroom house with an impressive modern design, which they managed to snap up for around £90,000.

Tragedy after dream find

Dawn and Graham Tucker had previously appeared on a 2014 episode of A Place in the Sun but didn't find a property that tickled their fancy during their TV hunt.

However, not long after their televised search, they stumbled upon a charming Italian home that stole their hearts. Dawn later reappeared on an episode of A Place in the Sun: What Happened Next, a spin-off series that revisits some of the show's most memorable house hunters over the past 23 years.

Viewers of A Place in the Sun were left heartbroken during a What Happened Next? episode when Dawn revealed her husband, Graham, was diagnosed with terminal cancer just after they secured their dream Italian property following their TV debut.

Just as their offer on their dream home was accepted, Graham received his terminal diagnosis and sadly passed away within a few months. Despite her grief, Dawn decided to go ahead with the purchase, honouring her late partner's wish for her to continue with the move.

Serious condition

A Place In The Sun's Laura Hamilton bravely revealed her ongoing fight with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a rare condition that triggers severe bruising and bleeding.

Despite grappling with the challenges of managing ITP, the 43 year old presenter has been delivering sun-drenched holiday spots to our screens since 2012, whilst also presenting her own podcast, the Mile Fly Club.

Laura, who resides in Kent, has previously assured supporters that her "ITP is very much under control" and doesn't disrupt her filming commitments.

Discussing her health battles, she explained: "I have something called ITP, Immune thrombocytopenia, which is low platelets count in my blood its quite an unknown disease. It sort of flares ups and downs depending on what's going on with my life and stress often brings it out."

Providing fans with an update on her condition, she previously revealed: "My ITP is very much under control, and it flares if I get stressed, so in terms of like can I travel, yes I can. I just have to monitor it. I have blood tests to see what my platelet levels are like, and they're fine."

During one unforgettable episode of A Place in the Sun, Laura recalled a poignant moment whilst filming in France: "It was really mad a year ago I was filming A Place In The Sun with a lovely couple in France - Mark and Janine - and I just stood there and I had an insect bite on my leg and I started scratching it.

"I was like 'oh I shouldn't have done that because I'm gonna have bruises on my leg from ITP'. Mark stopped and was like 'how do you know what ITP is?' And he told me that really sadly his sister had died from ITP and he said it was really good how I was trying to raise awareness of it. It's one of them times where you think they could have been paired with anybody as a presenter and nobody knew about the ITP link so it was just like 'wow'".