More than two years after being diagnosed with colon cancer, MAFS expert Mel Schilling has sadly passed away, aged just 54.
Mel’s husband, Gareth, confirmed the news in an Instagram post on the evening of March 24, 2026.
The touching post included a collection of images along with a heartbreaking statement.
“Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love. 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. 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,” Gareth shares, detailing his wife’s final moments.
“To most of you, she was Mel Schilling — matriarch of MAFS and queen of reality TV. To Maddie and me, she was our wee Melsie: an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate.”
Gareth went on to thank Mel’s Married at First Sight colleagues, her extended team and close friends.
The statement continued, “Life can be beautiful, and life can be incredibly cruel. But ultimately, life is fleeting, fragile, and tomorrow is promised to no one. If you can do anything to honour Mel, please live life to the full, love your people well, and try not to sweat the small stuff.”
“I had 15 wonderful years with my soulmate, and it was the privilege of my life to be by her side. For that, I will be forever thankful. Goodbye, my love. My one. Until we meet again.”
On March 13, 2026, Mel revealed her cancer had returned.
Since the doctors discovered the ‘lemon-sized’ tumour in December 2023, or “Terry” as Mel named him, she had openly discussed her cancer journey and all its struggles.
After the 5cm tumour was successfully removed in 2023, Mel was “initially given the all clear.” Until a routine scan in February 2024 discovered small nodules in her lungs.
“The cancer had metastasised, and my world changed again in an instant. Over the past two years, while filming MAFS, I underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy,” Mel reflected in a heartbreaking Instagram post.
In April 2024, Mel was undergoing her third round of chemotherapy. Feeling “hungover” from the treatment, Mel showed her determination to overcome cancer.
“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,” she said on UK radio station MagicFM.
Doctors then revealed Mel was eligible for a “groundbreaking clinical trial specific to my gene type.” Mel expected to start the trial in March 2026, until her symptoms worsened in December 2025.
“Over Christmas, however, I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side,” Mel wrote.
“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.”
“Hearing those words changes everything. So that’s where I am now.”
In March 2026, Mel chose to be candid once again, sharing “my light is starting to fade – and quickly.”
“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,” Mel continued, referring to her husband Gareth and daughter Maddie.
“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.”
Her MAFS co-worker and friend, John Aiken, shared a tribute to Mel following the announcement.
“We’ve always known Mel to be a woman of incredible grace and kindness, but the way she’s allowed us all in with such honesty during this time has truly reinforced why she is so loved,” he said. “To us, Mel isn’t just a colleague, she is family, our thoughts and our love continue to be with Mel, Gareth and Maddie. We love you Mel.”
Mel’s statement continued to thank those who have followed her journey, helping her “shape the mindset I’ve needed to keep fighting.”
“If I could leave you with one thing, it would simply be this: if something doesn’t feel right, please get it checked out. It might just save your life.”
Since discovering the tumour, Mel has vocally advocated and pushed for her followers to prioritise their health. Initially, Mel and her doctor dismissed her cancer symptoms as severe jet lag.
“I think I was ignoring the signs for such a long time,” Mel confessed on This Morning. She continued, “I had such incredible gut pain, literally doubled over and shouting in pain. I wasn’t sleeping, and my whole digestive system just stopped, and I just put it down to travel.”
Thankfully, Mel pushed and booked a scan.
“John Lennon famously said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. How right he was,” Mel captioned a 2023 Instagram post, announcing her cancer diagnosis.
“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 into the 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. And I’m expected to make a full recovery. Though it’s a rough road ahead.”
Mere weeks before Mel’s most recent cancer update, a statement confirmed she would be stepping away from Married At First Sight Australia to prioritise her family.
“This hasn’t been a choice I’ve made lightly. In recent years, my health challenges and living in the UK, spending up to three months a year away from my family, is no longer sustainable,” she revealed.
“It has become clear that I must make a change that puts my family, health and time at the very centre of my life.”
Share this post