Dating coach Mel Schilling was known to reality TV audiences worldwide for her role as an expert on Married At First Sight (MAFS), appearing across 12 seasons in two different countries.
News of her death today (March 24), following a years-long fight with cancer, has prompted an outpouring of grief from viewers and people in the industry. Fellow MAFS Australia expert John Aiken said ‘it’s not fair that my partner in crime is gone,’ adding that ‘she was one of the good ones’.
Schilling, an Australian-born former psychologist, was 54. She was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2023 after experiencing serious warning signs that were initially dismissed, with doctors suggesting she was likely constipated or simply exhausted.
After returning to the UK once filming wrapped, her doctor referred her for scans. A tumour was found in her bowel—one she nicknamed ‘Terry’—and it was surgically removed. However, a routine scan in February 2024 detected nodules in her lungs, confirming the disease had spread.
Early diagnosis can make a decisive difference, particularly with bowel cancer, as around 90 percent of cases caught in the early stages are considered highly treatable. In Schilling’s case, key symptoms were missed on two separate occasions.
One complicating factor was that she did not have a symptom many people associate most strongly with bowel cancer: blood in her stool. Instead, she endured intense stomach cramps for months.
Initially, she suspected it could be linked to her period, while a doctor she consulted suggested constipation as the likely cause.
She told Australian broadcaster ABC back in 2023:
“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.”
In a separate interview, she spoke about her frustration that her concerns were not taken more seriously.
On another occasion, Schilling explained to the Mirror:
“They told me that it was nothing, and suggested that I was just constipated or I was tired.
“I think we really need to raise awareness for not just individuals, but also for medical professionals to be aware that there are very, very, simple tests to diagnose bowel cancer.”
Like many people, Schilling initially tried to rationalise what she was feeling. And later, even after bowel surgery and discussions around lung nodules, she did not suspect the next symptoms could indicate the disease had reached her brain.
When she began suffering severe headaches and numbness down one side, she later revealed she received a terminal diagnosis.
She explained in March as she revealed her shock terminal diagnosis:
“Over Christmas, however, I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side.
“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.”
Numbness and tingling can be among the earlier signs associated with brain tumours, but brain cancer is often not identified at the earliest stage because symptoms can resemble other, more common conditions.
Schilling’s husband, Gareth, shared an emotional statement on her Instagram on Tuesday, March 24, confirming her death and expressing his heartbreak.
It reads:
Michael Healy, Nine’s executive and the boss of the production company behind MAFS, also paid tribute, highlighting both her presence on screen and the qualities that set her apart.
He said: