24 January 2023 , 06:53
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Merlin Griffiths took to social media on Monday to give his followers an update from his hospital bed.
The First Dates star, 47, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September 2021 and has undergone a number of surgeries since.
In his post, Merlin - who is well known for serving drinks to prospective couples in the First Dates bar - discussed how he had been living with a stoma bag.
He's seen in the pic lying in the hospital bed in discomfort following surgery. He captioned the snap: "Ouch. Time for a nap. Surgery done, tomorrow is a new day. Things start happening once I fart properly! I hope it's soon because I'm very hungry...."
Merlin Griffiths updated his fans on Monday (Merlin Griffiths/Twitter)He continued: "Feels weird looking down and not seeing a #Stoma . My hand keeps feeling for my bag to see how full it is, and coming up empty!! My thanks to our amazing @nhsengland for their care. X"
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And he confessed his companion teddy had gone to a new home, saying: "Lastly, the @buttonybear is winging its way via the surgical team to a child with a stoma.
He had shared a snap of him wearing a face mask and hospital gown while holding the teddy bear he's kept by his side since his diagnosis earlier in the day.
Merlin thanked the NHS for their care throughout his surgeries (Merlin Griffiths/Instagram)He wrote: "Checked in (with the bear of course), and ready to go. Here's to the final phase of treatment and recovery #Stoma #Reversal #BowelCancer."
The show's front of house Fred Sirieix was among those taking to the comments section to wish him luck. The Frenchman simply shared a love heart emoji with his pal.
Fans of the hit show were also on hand to send supportive messages. One user wrote: "Take it easy, fellow pouchie! The first few days can be tricky but it gets better every day."
Merlin is best known for being the barman on First Dates (Instagram/ @merlinfdc4)Another penned: "Not all heroes wear capes @buttonybear will get a great home I am sure. Hope you fart soon! Take it easy."
In November last year, the TV barman - who also owns his own pub - urged millions of others to go for check-ups no matter how bad possible symptoms of the disease are.