First Dates star Merlin Griffiths has revealed he has had to undergo more surgery after suffering a 'setback' in his brave battle with bowel cancer.
The Channel 4 barman, 47, described his recovery as a "long, slow road" after doctors discovered he had a 4.5cm grade three tumour last year.
Giving an update on his health, Merlin said after the operation in April to remove the tumour, all had been going well, but a 'setback' saw him back in hospital and having to have further procedures.
"I got myself up and around [because] you're supposed to do what's called active recovery these days," Merlin told The Metro.
"I'm under strict surgeon's orders not to overdo it so active recovery takes a backseat. So 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.
Merlin said the radiotherapy has "means my body doesn’t heal the same way it used to unfortunately".
He added: "But otherwise, we are getting better. It’s a long, slow road, as anyone who’s going through cancer treatment knows. You deal with it, don't you? You keep smiling and there is light at the end of the tunnel, there always is."
Merlin revealed his diagnosis in an interview with Sunday Mirror last September, explaining that he was facing a year of treatment while vowing: "I won't let it get the better of me."
He described the difficult moment he had to explain his diagnosis to his seven-year-old daughter Alix.
He recalled: “I said, ‘Dad’s got cancer’. She said, ‘Is that bad, Dad?".
“I said, ‘Yes, it’s very serious but I think it should be OK. Modern medicine’s great and if anything changes I’ll let you know.'
“She understands that people can die but I told her cancer comes in different varieties and in different ways too – and that many people come through it.”
The TV bartender, who also owns a pub in Lancashire, started getting feeling pain in June that year, but thought it was caused by scar tissue in his stomach from a car accident when he was 20.
Merlin said: “I thought, as most people must when they get a diagnosis, ‘Oh f***, I’ve got cancer’.
“I also wanted to know, what are my chances of surviving? It’s terrifying – of course I want to live.
“I’ve shed a tear in private. But you can choose ‘to do’ or ‘not to do’. I chose to lead my life as normal, to stick to the facts about it, and to keep putting one step in front of the other."
