Save this article for later<\/p>\n
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n
Got it<\/p>\n
AAA<\/p>\n
Married At First Sight <\/a>relationship expert Mel Schilling has died. The 54-year-old psychologist was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023. Earlier this month she revealed the cancer had spread into her brain, leaving no chance of recovery. She leaves behind her husband Gareth Brisbane, and 10-year-old daughter Madison.<\/p>\n Brisbane revealed the news on Instagram<\/a> on Tuesday night. \u201cIn 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,\u201d Brisbane wrote. \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a woman who became a new mum and a TV star at 42 \u2014 and nailed both. This is a woman who, through two years of chemotherapy, when she could barely lift her head from the pillow, never complained and never stopped showing courage, grace, compassion and empathy, and never missed a day of filming.<\/p>\n \u201cTo most of you, she was Mel Schilling \u2014 matriarch of MAFS and queen of reality TV. To Maddie and me, she was our wee Melsie: an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate. On behalf of our family and her incredible friendship group, thank you for the support from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Schilling joined the Australian version of the reality show in 2016. Along with fellow psychologist John Aiken and sexologist Alessandra Rampolla, who joined in 2021, Schilling counselled couples on the reality juggernaut. She also appeared on the UK version of MAFS, which she was still filming this year.<\/p>\n Nine\u2019s executive director of entertainment, streaming and broadcasting Michael Healy said the network was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by Schilling\u2019s death.<\/p>\n \u201cMel was a wonderful colleague and friend,\u201d Healy said in a statement. \u201cShe had a gift for connecting with people and helping them navigate life\u2019s challenges. For years, she guided us through the complexities of the human heart with wisdom, honesty, and kindness.<\/p>\n \u201cMel was a big part of our family, and she will be greatly missed. Our hearts and deepest sympathies are with her husband Gareth, their daughter Maddie and her entire family during this incredibly difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article Endemol Shine Australia\u2019s director of content Tara McWilliams said the production company was \u201cbeyond heartbroken to say goodbye to our beloved Mel\u201d and that working with her on MAFS over the last 10 years had been a privilege. \u201cWe will miss you more than words can say,\u201d said McWilliams.<\/p>\n It was only on March 13 that Schilling revealed her \u201clight was starting to fade\u201d, revealing on Instagram she had been diagnosed with a tumour the \u201csize of a lemon\u201d in December 2023. This was successfully removed in surgery, but in February 2024, a routine scan revealed small nodules in her lungs. Over the next two years, Schilling underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy.<\/p>\n However, in December 2025 she discovered the cancer had spread to her brain, and in February, she announced her departure from MAFS Australia, citing \u201chealth challenges\u201d and a desire to prioritise her family.<\/p>\n Earlier this month she shared the news of her deteriorating health on social media. \u201cOver Christmas … I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side,\u201d she wrote in the Instagram post that included a photograph of Schilling with her husband and their daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter 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,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n Hearing those words \u201cchanged everything\u201d, she said. \u201cBut 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. I honestly don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n MAFS is broadcast by Nine, the owner of this masthead.<\/p>\n Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Married](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/23837bea04b9d388b909a2481b03735b43bb7a14.jpeg\")
Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling has died. <\/p>\n![\"Married](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774357150_572_94261c8f4319c72c45920dcce6ef9a88c73c017a.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Married](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01ff0a9217a2c2b184de0d0946669b325c68dfe8.jpeg\")
Married At First Sight Australia experts Alessandra Rampolla, Mel Schilling and John Aiken. <\/p>\n![\"Nell](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bc62508ef19b6e2feedd5afa6e558d56c3864d75.png\")
Nell Geraets<\/a> is a Culture and Lifestyle reporter at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.![\"Louise](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769694071_541_b5af56124afe5dfbada8d3e6340f568b7408bcfcb9351d3840fec6b0a687ba20.png\")
Louise Rugendyke<\/a> is the National TV editor and a senior culture writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners