Married At First Sight star Mel Schilling has died aged 54 after a battle with colon cancer. The Australian dating expert was first diagnosed in December 2023, and despite treatment, the disease returned and spread to her lungs and brain.
Her husband Gareth Brisbane announced her death on Tuesday, saying she passed away peacefully surrounded by love. In a statement, he recalled her final moments when she whispered a message for him and their 10-year-old daughter Maddie, which he said would sustain him for the rest of his life.
Brisbane described Schilling as an incredible mum, role model and soulmate, who never complained during two years of chemotherapy and continued filming both the Australian and UK versions of MAFS. The couple married in Bali in 2020 and moved to the UK in 2021.
Schilling recently shared that her cancer was terminal and that she did not know how long she had left. In a social media post, she urged others to get checked if something feels wrong, saying it might save their lives.
Channel 4 paid tribute, calling Schilling's work at the heart of MAFS' phenomenal success and praising her fierce advocacy for women and passion for healthy relationships.
