Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling dies from brain cancer

Married at First Sight Australia relationship expert Mel Schilling has died. The 54-year-old was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023. Earlier this month she revealed the cancer had spread into her brain, leaving no chance of recovery.

Schilling’s husband, Gareth Brisbane, revealed the news on Instagram on Tuesday night. “In her final moments, when I thought cancer had taken away her ability to speak, she ushered me closer and whispered a message for Maddie and me that will sustain me for the rest of my life,” Brisbane wrote. “It took all of her remaining strength, and that gesture summed up our wee Melsie perfectly. Even then, her only thought was for Maddie and me.

This is a woman who became a new mum and a TV star at 42 — and nailed both.”

In a post shared on Instagram on March 13, Schilling said she was diagnosed with a tumour the “size of a lemon” in December 2023. This was successfully removed in surgery, but in February 2024, a routine scan revealed small nodules in her lungs.

Over the next two years, Schilling underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy. Meanwhile, she continued filming with MAFS.

Her optimism soared, she said, when she was told she was eligible for a groundbreaking clinical trial specific to her gene type, which was due to begin this month. However, her hopes were dashed in December last year when she found out the cancer had spread to her brain.

As a result, Schilling stepped away from her role on MAFS Australia in February, citing “health challenges” and a desire to prioritise her family.

In March, she shared the news of her deteriorating health on social media.

“Over Christmas … I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side,” she wrote in the Instagram post that included a photograph of her with husband Gareth Brisbane and their daughter Madison.

“After many tests, I was told the cancer had spread to the left side of my brain and, despite subsequent radiotherapy sessions, my oncology team have now told me there is nothing further they can do,” she continued.

Hearing those words “changed everything”, she said, adding that her light was starting to quickly fade.

“But I am still here, still fighting, and surrounded by the most incredible love. Simple tasks have become incredibly difficult and I am relying on my beautiful family to look after me. I honestly don’t know how long I have left, but I do know I will fight to my last breath and will be surrounded by the love and support of my people.”

Schilling also appeared as a relationship expert in the UK MAFS series. However, British broadcaster Channel 4 announced in March that she would be replaced by fellow MAFS Australia expert John Aiken in the latest season – which is still being filmed – given her deteriorating health.

In a statement shared after Schilling revealed the cancer had spread to her brain, Nine – which broadcasts MAFS – said the network was “deeply saddened” by the news and described Schilling as a “woman of extraordinary depth, kindness, and an unshakeable spirit”.

“Mel’s honesty and her ability to face life’s hardest moments with such strength and openness is something we admire,” the statement read. “She isn’t just a colleague; she is family. Our thoughts, love, and strength are with Mel, her husband Gareth, and her daughter Maddie during this incredibly difficult time. Mel, we are all behind you.”

MAFS is broadcast by Nine, the owner of this masthead.

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