Jonnie Irwin
| Jonnie Irwin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
18 November 1973 Leicestershire, England |
| Residence | London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | TV presenter, and writer |
| Known for | A Place in the Sun, Escape to the Country |
| Home town | Lutterworth, England, UK |
| Website | |
| Becca Barr Management | |
Jonnie Irwin (born 18 November 1973) is an English television presenter, writer, lecturer, business and property expert.
Career
Early career
Irwin obtained a degree from Birmingham City University in Estate Management and worked for business transfer specialists Christie & Co [1] becoming an associate director within three years, before going on to work for Colliers International.
Television career
In 2004, Irwin was selected along with co-presenter Jasmine Harman from hundreds of applicants to present Channel 4's [2] show A Place in the Sun – Home or Away,[3] and has filmed over 200 episodes all around Britain.
The programme is also broadcast daily on More4, Discovery Real Time and Discovery Travel & Living, as well as channels throughout Europe and the rest of the world, including New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Irwin also presents episodes of BBC property shows Escape to the Country, To Buy or Not to Buy.
In January 2011, Sky 1 broadcast Jonnie's own show called Dream Lives for Sale,[4] which saw him help people leave their UK lives behind and buy a business to run themselves abroad. In late 2011 he started a new series The Renovation Game which aired on weekday mornings on Channel 4.
Other work
Over the past ten years, Irwin has advised clients on business and property from small high street gift shops to multimillion pound corporate hotel packages. He still runs a property and business consultancy.
Irwin writes a regular column for A Place in the Sun magazine as well as a twice monthly column for Monarch Airlines. He appears at A Place in the Sun Live [5] giving presentations on his top tips for buying property abroad. Irwin also regularly hosts seminars and corporate events.
On 12 February 2013 he received an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University.
Personal life
Irwin grew up on a small farm in the village of Bitteswell, Leicestershire. A keen sportsman, he played rugby for Lutterworth RFC and then for Rugby Lions RFC, until an accident in a sevens tournament where he broke his back and subsequently retired.