First Dates star Merlin Griffiths has shared an update on his cancer treatment and revealed he recently suffered a “frustrating setback.”
The TV barman – who is known for fixing up prospective romantics with a tipple before their big date on the Channel 4 show – first shared the news of his bowel cancer diagnosis last September. Speaking to Metro ahead of the return of First Dates Hotel on Wednesday, Merlin said: “I was operated on in April, late April, as you might recall.
“It’s been a long, slow road to recovery. I got myself up and around [because] you’re supposed to do what’s called active recovery these days.
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“That was all going well. I had a minor setback so I was in for a couple of procedures.”
He added that being treated with radiotherapy means his body does not heal as well as it once did, before adding he is now under “strict orders” to take things easy. He said: “The last six to eight weeks have been quite frustrating, largely having to cool my heels and not being able to do what I’d like to do.
“But otherwise, we are getting better. It’s a long, slow road, as anyone who’s going through cancer treatment knows.”
Adding a touch of his trademark optimism to a difficult situation, Merlin added: “You deal with it, don’t you? You keep smiling and there is light at the end of the tunnel, there always is.”
The First Dates favourite also shared how supportive his friends and co-stars – including sophisticated Frenchman Fred Sirieix – have been since his diagnosis. He said: “They’ve been brilliant.
"Fred and I chat very regularly, at least once a month we’re on the phone and he constantly texts me as well, to get little updates to see what’s going on. Likewise with [co-stars] Cici and Grant and David and Daniella, they all check in with me as well, which is lovely.
"It’s nice to know they care, it makes me feel much better.”
Merlin will be back on our screens on Wednesday when First Dates Hotel returns at 9pm on Channel 4.
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