AIG Life Limited has launched an intimate podcast series today called OneChat, which explores the power of conversation on our health and wellbeing and profiling people whose lives have been changed by a single chat. The launch episode, targeting UK consumers, is OneChat with TV host Jonnie Irwin.
In it, Irwin gives his most frank interview yet and describes going public about his cancer as the day he started living again. Irwin publicly announced in November 2022 that he was living with terminal cancer – two years after he was diagnosed with brain cancer and given just six months to live. He raised the profile of protection insurance shortly after going public by revealing in the UK media that he wishes he had critical illness (CI) insurance.
Talking candidly in the OneChat podcast, Irwin said not having CI meant he had to keep his cancer quiet so he could work and earn money while going through treatment.
Part of the legacy Irwin said he wants to leave is that by talking about the financial impact of dealing with cancer – something he describes as “expensive” – people learn from his story and buy critical illness insurance.
“One of the reasons I came out and told people about my story…I want people to learn from my mistake. I didn’t take critical illness insurance out and therefore I had to keep working. Without work, I’ve got no means of paying the bills. And if I had taken the critical illness insurance out, that could’ve covered my outgoings and I probably could’ve told the world a lot sooner. I could’ve had two years of living a more open lifestyle. And I want people to learn from that mistake.”
When explaining why he didn’t buy critical illness insurance, Irwin admits he had a good financial adviser and they had talked about it – but that he didn’t act.
Irwin said of critical illness: “I think at the time I just thought I can better spend that money elsewhere. Where I don’t know. I’ve not frittered it away. Maybe because I know what benefits it would have had, it just seems ridiculous that I didn’t.”
He continued: “I thought I was doing well just taking out life insurance. It’s one positive thing and helped me a great deal to know my wife and my boys are taken care of in life. But how I wish I’d taken out that extra cover.”
Revealing the “real Jonnie Irwin”
In this first episode of OneChat podcast, Irwin confesses he wishes he’d spoken out sooner about living with cancer, so he could enjoy more quality years with his family. Yet he also admits that “burying my head in the sand” is what‘s proactively supporting his fight against the cancer.
On speaking out, Irwin said: “Goodness me, it’s been a massive weight off my shoulders. The day I came out and told the world that I had cancer, terminal cancer, is the day I started living again. It’s like being Jonnie Irwin again and I actually feel alive. Do I wish I’d done it sooner? In a way, yes.”
Part of the legacy Irwin said he wants to leave is that by talking about the financial impact of dealing with cancer – something he describes as “expensive” – people learn from his story and buy critical illness insurance.
“One of the reasons I came out and told people about my story… I want people to learn from my mistake. I didn’t take critical illness insurance out and therefore I had to keep working. Without work, I’ve got no means of paying the bills. And if I had taken the critical illness insurance out, that could’ve covered my outgoings and I probably could’ve told the world a lot sooner. I could’ve had two years of living a more open lifestyle. And I want people to learn from that mistake.
OneChat is available on the Amazon, Apple, Google and Spotify podcast platforms.
To learn more about the OneChat podcast launch, which is part of AIG Life’s Value of Protection campaign, go to https://view.ceros.com/aig/value-of-protection/p/2
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