Get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox so you never miss a thing First Dates bartender Merlin Griffiths has revealed that he's battling bowel cancer.
Merlin, the friendly face who helps the couples break the ice on the Manchester-based Channel Four reality show, was diagnosed just six weeks ago after he started getting pain in June.
In an interview with the Mirror the 46-year-old dad has vowed: “I won’t let it get the better of me.” Speaking of the moment he explained the diagnosis to his seven-year-old daughter Alix he recalled: “I said 'dad’s got cancer'. "She said 'Is that bad, dad?' "I said, ‘Yes, it’s very serious but I think it should be OK.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk