First Dates bartender Merlin Griffiths reveals that he has been diagnosed with stage three of bowel cancer.
Merlin, who appeared as a bartender on the hit Channel 4 dating show First Dates, the doctor found a 4.5cm Stage 3 tumor six weeks ago was detected after he was referred for a sigmoidoscopy. After suffering from stomach pains in June, he discovered the news but believed scar tissue in his stomach from a car accident some 26 years earlier was causing it.
Merlin can face a year of treatment, and the doctor told him that he has a 75% chance of living beyond five years.
It has been six weeks of diagnosis, and Merlin has told the Sunday Mirror: "I won't let it get the better of me."
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."
Merlin is now undergoing treatment for his cancer. He has had his first chemotherapy, and his oncologist hopes to remove the tumor in three months before more treatment.
Speaking about the diagnosis, he told the outlet: "I'm keeping that positive outlook, but I've a morbid sense of humor. I tell people, 'I have colorectal cancer… it's a real pain in the a**e.'"
Griffiths shared his experience of sharing news with his seven-year-old daughter.
He recalled:
"I said, 'Dad's got cancer. So she said, 'Is that bad, Dad?' I said, 'Yes, it's severe, 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."
Merlin, however, decided to reveal his illness outside the world before he makes an appearance next month on Stand Up to Cancer Live. Besides, he is a very private person.
Until now, he has told very few people. So after breaking the news to Lucile, 40, it was a week before he told friends on the BAFTA-winning show.
They included French maitre d'hotel Fred Sirieix and waiters Grant Urquhart and CiCi Coleman.
Merlin revealed he has also received support from his fellow First Dates stars, maître d'hôtel Fred Sirieix, and waiters CiCi Coleman and Grant Urquhart.
Merlin Griffiths Married Life With His Wife, Lucile
Merlin Griffiths was born in 1975 and grew up in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He went to Pate's Grammar School.
Merlin has been worked as a bartender and mixologist for more than 20 years.
Merlin Griffiths has a life partner named Lucile, who has been with him for more than decades.
The couple first met during a cocktail competition in Canada held more than a decade ago. After winning the match, he was able to capture Lucile's heart. Merlin and Lucile welcomed a daughter together in 2014.
He kept his private life very secret and didn't share about his wife as well as his daughter.
Lucile and Merlin ran the business The Priory Tavern in 2010 and influenced them from classic British pub food and their time working in Canada and America. And the couple's pub won Regional Cellar Keeper of the Year in 2015.
Now Merlin Griffiths has been suffering from third-stage bowel cancer. The doctor says that he has a 75% chance of surviving more than five years and has to undergo gruesome treatment for one year.
Merlin Griffiths Career Details
Merlin Griffiths has not revealed his net worth, but he has run his business. He is also known as the king of the bartender. He has been worked as a bartender and mixologist for more than 20 years.
Merlin has traveled throughout the world and worked as a bartender in different parts of the world like India, the USA, etc. He owns his bar and restaurant, The Priory Tavern, in Kilburn, northwest London. His wife also runs it together. Merlin has won the cocktail competition in Canada, which was held more than a decade ago. In addition, the couple's pub won Regional Cellar Keeper of the Year in 2015.
Aside from owning pubs and restaurants, Merlin has taken part as a bartender on the Channel 4 dating show First Dates. He also appears in Big Fat Quiz of Everything (TV Special) and Sliced. He might appear next month on the Channel 4 show Stand Up to Cancer Live.