First Dates bartender Merlin Griffiths reveals stoma surgery scars as he is given all-clear from bowel cancer
FIRST Dates bartender Merlin Griffiths bravely showed his surgery scars after being given the all-clear from bowel cancer.
The Channel 4 star, 47, made the reveal on Wednesday’s Lorraine as he opened up on his surgery and road to recovery.
Merlin was diagnosed with bowel cancer back in 2021.
The First Dates favourite told how he had underwent various surgeries including chemotherapy and radiotherapy while also having a stoma, affectionately termed Mr Noisy by his daughter.
Yet in January, he had an operation to have his abdominal stoma reversed.
Merlin appeared on the live TV show holding a teddy bear adorned with a stoma patch, in an attempt to comfort children who also need the form of collection bag.
Host Lorraine Kelly told him: “And you’ve got your surgery scars … ” to which he said: “Yes, can I show them?”
Lorraine replied: “Of course!”
As he pointed at the marks on his stomach, she said: “That’s where the stoma was?” as he replied: “Yes.”
Earlier in the episode, Merlin flagged his chronic tiredness and changes in his bowel habits as key symptoms ahead of his diagnosis.
He said: “You get comfortable talking about all this stuff.
“But we have to get used to talking about this before it happens.”
Back in January, Merlin was released from hospital after a “tough and fraught week.”
Merlin previously told The Sun in an exclusive chat how he was living with cancer.
He said: “That’s an important distinction to make. Just because you have an operation to remove the tumour doesn’t mean that all of a sudden you are cancer free.
“They used to call it remission, now they call it NED, which means no evidence of disease.
“So NED happens after five years for bowel cancer. Now it’s a five year ongoing process before they are willing to say alright, yeah, you’re about as safe as you can be.”
He adds: “From there you’ll still have more regular check ups than most and then it’s ten years, you’re off the list from ten years. That’s as far as it goes.
“If there’s no recurrence of disease after ten years, then you are technically cured.”