Merlin has thankfully been given the all clear from stage 3 bowel cancer (Image: Julian Hamilton/Sunday Mirror)
First Dates star Merlin Griffiths has opened up about the lasting effects of his battle with stage three bowel cancer, admitting that he’ll ‘never be the same again’ after overcoming the disease. The 49 year old personality was diagnosed in 2021 and, following an arduous 18-month treatment period, was declared cancer-free last year.
However, the profound experience continues to echo in his daily life, serving as a reminder of his fortunate survival. Despite being given the all-clear, Merlin, famed for his bartending skills alongside First Dates stalwart Fred Sirieix, will remain under medical observation for the next two years.
He is slowly regaining his strength after undergoing intensive treatments, including chemotherapy. Throughout his cancer journey, Merlin bravely shared his experiences on social media, inspiring his many followers with his positive outlook on the challenging circumstances he faced.
His story stands as a testament to leading a fulfilling life while battling cancer. Upon receiving the life-changing news of his cancer clearance, Merlin exclusively revealed to The Mirror his secret to staying positive and resilient during the dark times.
However, he acknowledged that his daunting experience has irrevocably changed him.
Merlin Griffiths shared an update from his hospital bed (Image: Twitter/ @@MerlinFDC4)
He said: “My life will never quite be the same, and anyone that has gone through bowel cancer and the horrific treatment that it involves will understand. I might look whole, but I’m actually missing about 45% of my insides. It’s quite a major amputation internally that I have had.”
“For the rest of my life, I’ll have this condition called Lower Anterior Resection Syndrome. All forms of cancers tend to have longer-term fallouts that a lot of people I don’t think are aware of, but, I still approach everyday with positivity because, what else can I do. It’s been difficult but I’m so grateful to be here,”.
He concluded: “I’m genuinely happy to savour every single day that I’m here quite frankly.”
“After being scanned and diagnosed, the magic words I heard from the oncologists were ‘we aim to cure you’. I don’t think people realise that about cancer these days. Chemotherapy 30 or 40 years ago really was awful – you would spend your entire time in hospital – it was incredibly dangerous. But now, it’s tailored and it’s targeted and it’s come on leaps and bounds and there are so many new advances. It;’s mindblowing. So just keep your chin up.”
Merlin Griffiths was devastated when he was diagnosed with stage three cancer (Image: Channel 4/Dave King)
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Merlin recently celebrated a significant milestone in his recovery journey, sharing the wonderful news of an “all-clear” result after his one-year scan. He posted an email he received regarding a CT scan on .
The email stated: “Hi Merlin, hope you are well. Your CT scan has just come through. All looks good, there are no signs of recurrence. Hope this is reassuring.”
He captioned the post: “Final Year 1 scan results are in, and it’s ALL CLEAR for now. Nice. Thank you # NHS #bowelcancerawareness.”