First Dates’ Merlin Griffiths opens up about ‘life-changing consequences’ after cancer diagnosis

First Dates’ bartender Merlin Griffiths has opened up about the ‘life-changing consequences’ he must live with after battling cancer.

He first came to UK TV screens as the friendly barman who offers a friendly smile and words of encouragement to nervous daters while pouring them their drink of choice. The nation quickly came to love him, but aside from his onscreen life, Merlin is also a cancer survivor.

The 48-year-old was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer back in 2021 and has been sharing candid moments with his followers over his social media accounts ever since.

He underwent surgery to remove the tumour as well as a gruelling course of chemotherapy and was given the all-clear ‘for now’ just a few months ago.

Merlin, a dad-of-one, was given the wonderful news that his surgery and treatment had been ‘successful’ as doctors told him ‘there are no signs of any reoccurrence’.

The star has been keeping it very real and honest with his fans in a bid to expel the stigma surrounding cancer and its effects, updating his followers along his journey with cancer. 

In doing so, he has managed to help raise awareness and get past any embarrassment around talking about bowel cancer – with the hope to help others to get checked by doctors sooner or who may be living with the disease.

The Gloucestershire-born star has shared how he previously hesitated to see a doctor with his own symptoms before he was given the diagnosis.

In an interview in October last year, the First Dates barman said: “There is still a certain amount of classic British reserve in the way that we deal with a lot of health issues. And this one is particularly – it is in that area, isn’t it?

“Because it’s bowel cancer and in my case it was rectal cancer. So yeah, I’ve got to talk about a***s. I’ve got to talk about poo. I’ve got to talk about bowel habits, so on and so forth. You have to normalise this.”

Merlin has been readjusting to life after his cancer journey and has returned to TV screens in a new series of First Dates which kicked off on January 2nd.

Ahead of the show’s comeback, he appeared on BBC Breakfast alongside new waitress Aoife Smyth as they discussed what fans can expect, as well as what life is like for him now as he deals with the ‘consequences’ of having had bowel cancer.

Although the star told hosts he is ‘all good’ he said that he must now learn to deal with the ‘fallout’ of his health, which also comes with another diagnosis.

Merlin explained: “I have a condition called Low Anterior Resection Syndrome now to deal with, but that’s all right. We live with it, we move forward. The main thing is, one is alive and able to smile and able to work at the bar in the restaurant.”

Asked whether beating bowel cancer had given him a new appreciation for life, Griffiths replied: “I suppose it does – it does and it doesn’t. It’s an experience one parks and you draw upon it when you need it.”

According to the NHS Health Research Authority website, Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) ‘refers to a collection of symptoms (faecal incontinence, urgency and frequency) that may affect up to 50% of patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery’ and ‘can have a significant adverse effect on quality of life’.

The mixologist star, who has appeared on First Dates since the show launched in 2013, has been praised by fans for remaining positive throughout his cancer journey.