{"id":487842,"date":"2026-02-18T11:53:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T11:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/487842\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T11:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T11:53:11","slug":"mafs-australia-expert-mel-schilling-announces-she-is-leaving-the-show-after-10-years-on-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/487842\/","title":{"rendered":"MAFS Australia expert Mel Schilling announces she is leaving the show \u2013 after 10 years on air"},"content":{"rendered":"

M\ufeffarried At First Sight<\/a> expert Mel Schilling<\/a> has announced she will not return to the Australian version of the experiment after 2026.<\/p>\n

The dating and relationship expert, who joined the Aussie reality show in its second season in 2016, will continue on MAFS UK where she will live to prioritise her health and time with her husband Gareth and 10-year-old daughter Maddie.<\/p>\n

Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here<\/a><\/p>\n

In an Instagram post<\/a> the \ufeff54-year-old broke news of her departure: “After 12 extraordinary seasons, I have made the heartfelt decision to step away from my role as an expert on Married at First Sight Australia.<\/p>\n

\"MAFSMel Schilling is stepping away from MAFS Australia after 12 seasons. (Nine)<\/p>\n

“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. It has become clear that I must make a change that puts my family, health and time at the very centre of my life.<\/p>\n

“What began as a small social experiment has grown into a global phenomenon, and I have felt truly privileged to be part of that journey. I am incredibly grateful to the fans, the production team, and my fellow experts for their trust and passion over the years.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Meet the real-life partners of MAFS experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling and Alessandra Rampolla<\/a><\/p>\n

“I am leaving not with sadness, but with a deep sense of gratitude for everything we’ve achieved together. Stepping away from the Australian series is the right move for my future, though I look forward to continuing my work with Married at First Sight UK. Thank you for being part of this chapter with me.<\/p>\n

No replacement for Mel’s spot on the MAFS Australia couch has been announced. \ufeff<\/p>\n

\"MAFSMel will set up life in the UK where she will prioritise time with husband Gareth and daughter Maddie. (Instagram @mel_schilling1)<\/p>\n

After the success of MAFS Australia, Mel joined the experts couch on MAFS UK in 2021.<\/p>\n

For the past five years Mel has lived between the UK and Australia spending half of each year in each country and often spending months away from her \ufeffyoung family.<\/p>\n

In December 2023, Mel shared she’d been diagnosed with \ufeffcolon cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Mel has been in remission since January 2025, she’s spent the past two years battling chemotherapy, surgeries and treatments all while filming two seasons of MAFS a year on both sides of the world.<\/p>\n

\"MAFSMel has spent the past two years battling colon cancer and announced she was in remission in 2025. (Instagram @mel_schilling1)<\/p>\n

\ufeffMel has more than 20 years’ experience in both the\u00a0corporate and therapeutic arenas. She has worked\u00a0as a business and personal coach to people at all\u00a0business levels, from graduates to C-suite\u00a0professionals, and has operated in Australasia and\u00a0the Middle East.<\/p>\n

On a personal level, Mel spent 10 years as a single woman in the Melbourne dating scene before mastering online dating, meeting her partner at 40, heading down the IVF road and having a daughter at 42.<\/p>\n

In 2019, Mel and Gareth were married in Bali and now have a daughter, Maddie.<\/p>\n

MAFS EPISODE 10 RECAP: Bride’s tears as Intimacy Week fantasy leads to ultimate rejection\ufeff<\/a><\/p>\n

\"MAFSMel has been a staple on the experts lounge alongside colleagues Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken for years. (Instagram @johnaikenlive)<\/p>\n

In her 10 years on air, Mel has guided more than Aussie 100 couples through the experiment and both Nine and Endemol Shine Australia will miss her presence on the expert’s couch.<\/p>\n

“She has celebrated every high and met every challenge over the last 12 seasons of MAFS but her enthusiasm to find the best match for hundreds of Aussies has remained undiminished,” Adrian Swift, Nine’s Head Of Content, Production and Development said.<\/p>\n

“All of us at Nine hugely value her contribution to the nation’s most-watched television series but we understand the pull of her home in the UK and wish her continued success on MAFS UK.”<\/p>\n

\"MarriedMel joined the experiment in 2016 alongside the late Dr Trisha Stratford and John Aiken. (Nine)<\/p>\n

Tara McWilliams, Director of Content at Endemol Shine Australia applauded Mel’s “authenticity and passion” \ufeff<\/p>\n

“Her ability to both challenge and champion our participants has helped shape the heart and evolution of the series,” she said.<\/p>\n

“We are forever grateful for all that she’s brought to the show, and while we will miss her expertise, warmth and unmistakable presence, we wholeheartedly support her decision to prioritise her life in the UK with her family, wishing her every happiness”.<\/p>\n

Stream every episode of Married At First Sight<\/a> for free on 9Now<\/a>. Plus, \ufeffexclusive footage, unfiltered interviews and exclusive video when MAFS: After The Dinner Party<\/a> starts Wednesday, February 18 only on Stan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE<\/a>: Stay across all the latest news from your favourite shows via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.<\/p>\n