Gareth Brisbane, the husband of late Married At First Sight star Mel Schilling, has paid a heartfelt tribute to his wife on what would have been their eighth wedding anniversary, sharing an emotional update on their young daughter Maddie. Schilling, a beloved relationship expert on the Channel 4 reality dating show, died earlier this year at age 54 after a battle with colon cancer.
Anniversary Tribute
In a post on Schilling's Instagram page, Brisbane shared a photograph from their wedding day, in which he is holding their daughter Maddie and kissing Mel. He wrote: 'Ah my one. Hard to reconcile that the anniversary of the happiest day of my life could become one of the saddest. We didn’t quite make eight years married or 15 years together but what a love and what a life we had! By the end of our first date I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and my love for you burned ever brighter, even as your own light faded.'
The post continued: 'Sleep easy my girl, I hope you know that Maddie and I are in the best possible place to continue healing. She is every inch your daughter and you would be so proud of the remarkable young woman she is becoming.' Brisbane added: 'Death leaves a heartache no-one can heal, love leaves a memory no-one can steal.'
Cancer Battle
Schilling was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023. She underwent keyhole surgery to remove a five-centimetre tumour, followed by 16 rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy during filming for MAFS. Her death came just weeks after she announced that doctors could no longer treat her cancer, which had spread to her lungs and the left side of her brain.
In a previous Instagram post marking their seventh wedding anniversary, Schilling described Brisbane as her 'soul mate' and said she was 'so grateful' for him. Her family announced her death on March 24, stating she 'passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love'.
New Chapter in Bali
A month after her death, Brisbane shared another post on Schilling's social media page, revealing that he and Maddie were moving to Bali for 'our next chapter'. The Indonesian island holds special significance for the couple, as they tied the knot there in 2018.
