First Dates barman Merlin Griffiths, 51, has spoken candidly about his battle with stage three bowel cancer and the support of his long-term partner Lucille. Diagnosed in 2021, Griffiths underwent 18 months of treatment before being given the all-clear in 2023. He continues to be monitored for the next two years.
Griffiths, who also appears on James Martin's Saturday Morning, urged others not to ignore symptoms after initially attributing his abdominal pain and bowel changes to scar tissue from a car accident. He told Bowel Cancer UK: 'Pain in your stomach and changes to bowel habits can be a symptom of bowel cancer... If something doesn't feel right, don't dismiss it and don't wait.'
The television star praised his partner Lucille, with whom he has been in a relationship for ten years and shares a daughter named Alix. He revealed that Lucille drove him to daily radiotherapy sessions for several months while managing their pub and caring for their child. 'She's been utterly brilliant,' he said.
Griffiths, who owns the Dog and Gun pub in Leicestershire, has been open about the lasting impact of his illness. He told The Mirror that he is missing about 45% of his insides due to surgery and now lives with Lower Anterior Resection Syndrome. Despite this, he approaches each day with positivity, saying: 'What else can I do. It's been difficult but I'm so grateful to be here.'
