Popular First Dates star Merlin Griffiths, who appears as a bartender on the much-loved show, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer.
The 46-year-old said that he learned of the diagnosis after suffering with stomach pains in June. He initially thought the pain may have been caused by an abdominal injury he had suffered years before, but after going to see professionals, a tumour was detected.
He is now set to undergo treatment.
Speaking to The Mirror about his diagnosis, Griffiths said:
“I’m keeping that positive outlook, but I’ve a morbid sense of humour. I tell people, ‘I have colorectal cancer… it’s a real pain in the a**e.’”
And revealing that he broke the news to his seven-year-old daughter, the First Dates star said:
“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.”
Griffiths said of learning of his diagnosis:
“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.”