Mel Schilling, the Married At First Sight expert, has further opened up about her cancer journey.
In April 2024, Mel shared during an appearance on MagicFM – a UK radio station – that she was undergoing her third round of chemotherapy.
“I’m feeling a little flat today actually, to be totally honest with you,” she told the hosts before then describing the effects of chemo.
“It sort of feels like being hungover.”
However, the TV personality said that despite chemo making her feel like she’s been “drinking all night” she won’t let it dampen her spirits.
“I’m just now trying to find the way to juggle everything, because I’m not stopping working. This thing is not beating me, I’m here to fight, I just need to make some adaptions.”
This isn’t the first time Mel has been candid about her cancer journey.
In January, Mel appeared on the British television programme This Morning and the reality star revealed she initially thought her cancer symptoms were from severe jet lag.
“I think I was ignoring the signs for such a long time. I had such incredible gut pain, literally doubled over and shouting in pain,” Mel said.
“And I stopped going to the toilet, just stopped, but I was doing all this international travel; you know what it’s like, flying to Australia, the jet lag,” she continued.
“I wasn’t sleeping, and my whole digestive system just stopped, and I just put it down to the travel.”
Mel first shared that she had colon cancer in late December last year.
Taking to Instagram, Mel posted a beautiful picture of herself hugging husband Gareth Brisbane and their eight-year-old daughter Madison.
And along with the image, the relationship and dating coach penned a lengthy caption revealing that she had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour.
“‘YOU HAVE CANCER.’ Three little words that everyone dreads but no one ever expects to hear. Last Thursday my consultant told me those 3 words,” Mel began.
“About a month ago when I was filming in Australia I developed severe stomach cramps on set, I put it down to all the travel I’d been doing and the upset it caused to my system. I saw my GP in Sydney and he put it down to constipation, gave me some laxatives and sent me on my way.
“Fortunately I knew something still wasn’t right so I booked in for a scan when I returned to the UK. On Thursday, I was told I had colon cancer and in an instant my whole life changed.”
Mel went on to say that while the ordeal was frightening and she was disappointed to be spending Christmas in hospital, she was extremely thankful doctors caught it early.
“John Lennon famously said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, how right he was. This week I had planned to travel to Northern Ireland with my family to spend Christmas with loved ones. Instead tomorrow morning I’m checking in to hospital to have an operation to remove a 5cm tumour in my colon, a tumour that had it gone undetected for much longer would have killed me.
“Despite this I feel incredibly blessed that it’s a cancer that is relatively easy to eradicate, I’m expected to make a full recovery though it’s a rough road ahead. I also feel so lucky to have an incredible support network around me, both personally and professionally, my own family and my TV family have been amazing [these] past few days.
“It will be so tough to spend Xmas Day in hospital instead of being surrounded by family but getting rid of Terry (what I’ve named my tumour) will be the best present of all,” Mel continued before urging her fans to always get themselves checked out when they’re not feeling right.
“I just wanted to finish by saying that if something doesn’t feel right, please, please don’t ignore it and if you don’t think the answers you have got are right, keep going until you do, it might just save your life.”
