First Dates star Merlin Griffiths has shared an update with fans after undergoing a surgical procedure, following his diagnosis of bowel cancer last summer.
Merlin, who is known for his role as the bartender who greets the nervous daters at the First Dates restaurant on the Channel 4 reality show, shared the news in September that he had been diagnosed with a Stage 3 tumour by doctors.
He has since been undergoing treatment and this week, he revealed the happy news that he has now had the tumour removed.
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Merlin posted a photo to Instagram of himself arriving at the hospital earlier this week, which he captioned: "Ready as I'll ever be. Tumour removal time".
He has since shared some post-surgery updates on his social media, posting a photo of himself lying in his hospital bed and writing: "2am. Tubes outta everywhere. Aches and pains. But no tumour!"
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He also shared the photo to Twitter alongside a picture of a "Da Vinci surgical robot" that was used to undertake the procedure, writing: "Thank you #NHS for literally saving my life. #BowelCancerAwarenessMonth".
Merlin has received an influx of get well soon messages following his successful surgery, with his First Dates co-star Cici Coleman sending him a series of heart emojis on Instagram and EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt commenting with some raised hands emojis.
He has also received supportive messages from fans, who have shared comments such as "Hope you're feeling as well as can be, you've got this Merlin" and "Great news the tumor is gone, wishing you a speedy recovery".
After sharing the news of his diagnosis last year, Merlin said that he would not let the illness "get the better of me".
"I've shed a tear in private," he said. "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."
First Dates airs on Channel 4.
If you would like more information or support about living with cancer or treatment, please click here for guidance from Macmillan Cancer Support, or click here to learn more from Stand Up to Cancer.
Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
