He’s known as the sparkling mixologist, knocking up cocktails at moment’s notice and putting nervous singletons at their ease as they embark on a first date in front of the TV cameras.
But few viewers of Channel 4’s First Dates would have been aware when watching Merlin Griffiths in the latest series of the show, that he was undergoing chemotherapy while filming.
Diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer last year, Griffiths, who had an operation to remove a tumour in April, told Sky News: “The last time we were we were working in the First Dates restaurant, I was undergoing chemotherapy and the team were fantastically accommodating.
“Tiredness was one of the really big side effects, I was getting a lot of fatigue. So, there was an allowance made so I could step away from the bar at regular points and have a small bite and get some rest in between seeing our beautiful daters.
“Likewise, as soon as we finished, I was straight off into the intravenous part of chemo … And that would really hammer me around. But that was ok because we had a break in running the restaurant at that point and then a few days later it was back in, and you’re ready to go again.”
Despite the demanding nature of TV schedules, Griffiths insists he’s nothing special in working through his illness, saying: “People manage full family lives, you know, several children, childcare and work and still go for chemo and everything else. You find ways of making it work because what else are you going to do? You’re trying to live.”
The fourth most common cancer in the UK, one in 15 men and one in 18 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.
More on Channel 4
Related Topics:
But, while bowel cancer is the nation’s second biggest cancer killer, it’s very treatable when it is caught early.
Stars like Griffiths and the late Dame Deborah James have played a large part in bringing bowel cancer into the public consciousness.
Advertisement
But keeping the illness under wraps is an instinct Griffiths understands: “Initially I wanted to just keep it completely to myself and my immediate family… just to get my head around it… But then it was a case of, huge bits of my life are going to change and somebody might notice. Friends are going to go, ‘Why aren’t you coming out?’
“So, I just thought, you know what? After a conversation with my family, I might as well do something constructive with all this… I think it’s important to use this for good.”
Now in its nineteenth series, Griffiths has been part of the First Dates since it first aired in 2013.
Using his TV familiarity as a platform, he’s been frank about both his illness its treatments, the reality of which he’s described in social media posts as “long, and often painful and ugly”.
Unstoppably upbeat, he can’t resist joking about some of the less dignified treatments, saying: “My first thoughts on colonoscopy was that if I’d been kidnapped by aliens, at least they’d have the good manners to wipe my memory! But no, in reality it wasn’t actually that bad. And that’s why we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it.”
He knows it’s not an easy subject to broach: “The tendency is to shy away from a lot of these things, especially because they’re sort of like embarrassing and stuff we don’t genuinely talk about”.
He even admits he initially put off seeking treatment himself: “It’s very easy for us to push stuff to the side, isn’t it? You can rationalise it and you justify it. I rationalised it myself.
“I was late to get checked in all fairness, and I should have made investigations sooner. I’m under 50, so I don’t come into the routine screening. So, the onus is on me as the patient to look after myself.”
His symptoms started with pain in his abdomen and radical changes to his bowel movements.
Other symptoms can include bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo, unexplained weight loss and extreme tiredness for no obvious reason.
The NHS offers bowel cancer screenings to all adults aged 50 and over in Scotland, and that will soon be rolled out across England and Wales too (currently in parts of England and Wales people are not offered screenings until they are 60). Those in Northern Ireland are offered screenings from 60. Screenings are then offered every two years until the age of 75.
But Griffiths says searching symptoms randomly online can be unhelpful, labelling “medical Google” as “an absolute hellhole”. He says websites including the main charity pages including Bowel Cancer UK and the NHS have been invaluable to him on his cancer journey.
And he says he couldn’t have got through it all without the help of his family – his wife and daughter – and of course his First Dates family too.
“They’ve been absolutely awesome. I speak to Fred regularly and I chat with Cici [Coleman] regularly. They’ve both been really good and it’s been lovely to have their support. I chat with people that work behind the scenes on the show on a regular basis as well.”
Plus, he says the French maître d’hôtel Fred Sirieix who leads the team is as nice as he seems on camera.
“Fred’s Hilarious. He’s a live one… What you see is what you get with Fred. And it’s a wonderfully refreshing thing to find in someone. He’s cheery, he’s happy, he’s honest and he’s overwhelmingly positive about just about everything.”
Away from his gruelling treatments, Griffiths has at least had a little luxury travel to enjoy, albeit on a work trip for yet more filming.
Testament to the success of First Dates, its spinoff series – First Dates Hotel – is filmed in the four-star Aquapetra Resort and Spa in Campania southern Italy. The show is currently in its seventh series.
As Channel 4’s longest running dating show, First Dates has been matching singletons for nearly 10 years and has at least five weddings and three babies to its name. So, what’s the secret of its success?
Griffiths says it’s all down human nature – and a bit of forward planning: “Love is eternal, isn’t it? It’s not going anywhere. And people have infinite variety… When you put those two things together – a timeless emotion and a timeless base need – with the wonderful variety of people, it’s a recipe for success, especially when you actively look to make it happen.
“A lot of work goes into to matchmaking our daters as well, and that for me is one of the key things behind it. There’s a genuine desire from everyone who works at the restaurant to make it work, and that’s important.”
First Dates Hotel airs on Tuesday evenings on Channel 4.
Stay on Track is a campaign with Merlin Griffiths and Matt Dawson, in partnership with Norgine and Bowel Cancer UK, which aims to raise awareness of bowel cancer and the importance of screening, testing and early diagnosis. For more information: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
Travis Kelce is used to drama on the pitch – now he’s set to experience it on the small screen.
Following girlfriend Taylor Swift into the world of entertainment, the NFL star is to take on his first major acting role in a new series by renowned producer Ryan Murphy, the creative powerhouse behind hit shows including Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story, and Pose.
Kelce will appear alongside Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B Vance and British star Lesley Manville in horror drama Grotesquerie, due to be released in the US in the autumn.
“Guys, guess who I am working with on Grotesquerie…” Nash-Betts has announced in a video shared on Instagram.
Kelce then appears in the frame, responding: “Jumping into new territory… with Niecy.” He has also shared the clip with his 6.4 million followers on Instagram.
“This is what happens when winners link up!!?” Nash-Betts captioned the video. “@killatrav Welcome to Grostequerie!”
Murphy has become known for casting high profile stars who are not actors in his shows, with singers Lady Gaga and Stevie Nicks, model Naomi Campbell and reality star Kim Kardashian all taking parts in American Horror Story.
Nash-Betts recently won an Emmy for another Murphy series, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, while Kelce won a third Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year – greeted with a kiss by Swift at the end of the game.
Grease star Susan Buckner, who played Patty Simcox in the classic musical, has died aged 72.
The American actress died peacefully on Thursday 2 May surrounded by her loved ones, publicist Melissa Berthier has said.
A cause of death has not been given.
Buckner was best known for her role in Grease where she played the Rydell High cheerleading pal of Sandy – played by Olivia Newton-John.
In a memorable scene, Bucknell gives a rallying cry for the school when she says: “Do the splits, give a yell, show a little spirit for Old Rydell! Way to go, red and white, go Rydell, fight, fight, fight.”
Bucknell’s daughter Samantha Mansfield said after her mother’s death: “She was magic. She was my best friend. And I will miss her every day.
“I was lucky I had such a lighting rod of a mother and now I have her as an angel.”
More from Ents & Arts
Born in Seattle, Buckner made her name on the pageant circuit, being crowned Miss Washington in 1971 before representing the state at the Miss America competition the following year.
She channelled her experience into the entertainment industry, becoming a member of the singing and dancing group The Golddiggers, which featured on The Dean Martin Show.
Advertisement
She also made appearances on The Mac Davis Show, Sonny And Cher, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
Following her appearance in Grease in 1978, Buckner starred in TV shows including The Love Boat, BJ And The Bear, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and When The Whistle Blows.
She also starred in the 1981 Wes Craven horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone, as well as in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege in 1989.
Buckner later took a step back from Hollywood and became a mother to her two children, Adam Josephs and Mrs Mansfield.
She is also survived by her grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby as well as her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime partner Al.
Police are investigating a shooting at the Toronto mansion of Canadian rapper Drake.
A security guard, who had been standing outside the gates of the property, was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in the attack.
The shooting happened early on Tuesday morning, soon after 2am local time (7am UK time) near Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood.
A suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, police said in a post on X.
X
This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.