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First Dates' Merlin Griffiths teams up with supermodel for an unexpected new project after cancer battle

First Dates' Merlin Griffiths teams up with supermodel for an unexpected new project after cancer battle

The Sun07-05-2025
FIRST Dates star Merlin Griffiths has teamed up with a top supermodel for a new podcast after his cancer treatment.
The barman from the Channel 4 reality show will be working alongside Jodie Kidd for the brand new project.
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Titled Three Landlords Walk into a Bar, they will do a deep dive on British pubs from ghost stories to industry analysis and will be chatting with some of the UK's most successful publicans and industry leaders.
"Expect everything from ghost stories in Britain's most haunted pub to tales of the Beatles, building inclusive spaces, and the importance of the perfect pint (of course)," read the announcement on Instagram.
In the accompanying video to the social media post, fans are given a preview of some of the guests and conversations that can look forward to hearing in the coming season.
Jodie shared it to her Instagram stories saying: "I loved doing this podcast."
The supermodel is landlady at 16th century boozer, Half Moon in Kirdford, West Sussex, who has often spoken out about the importance of pubs to local communities.
'People are always surprised when they find out I run a pub. It's one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs," she said in a statement about the podcast.
"There's a whole world behind the bar that most punters never get to see – the highs, the graft, the sheer heart landlords pour in."
Merlin who is the landlord of the Dog & Gun in Leicestershire also wants to raise awareness about the pressures facing pubs in the U.K.
"Being a landlord isn't just about pulling pints and hosting quizzes – it's late nights, leaky pipes, and learning to adapt fast," he said.
"Amidst turbulent times for the industry, we wanted to sit down and explore how Britain's pubs are evolving to stay at the heart of their communities – whether that's finding new ways to get people in the door or embracing game-changing tech to serve up top-quality pints more efficiently and sustainably.'
Merlin's new project comes as the bartender recovers from cancer treatment.
He was diagnosed with bowel cancer and had chemotherapy and two operations to remove a tumour in 2021.
Despite getting the all-clear from doctors that he was cancer-free, Merlin admitted to struggling after his treatment and that he still needed to be closely monitored.
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