Married At First Sight<\/a>, shared that her “light is starting to fade” as she battles the disease.<\/p>\nSchilling\u2019s health struggles began in 2023 with treatment for colon cancer. <\/p>\n
However, a subsequent routine scan uncovered “small nodules” in her lungs, which have since metastasised to parts of her brain.<\/p>\n
This progression has led to “blinding headaches and numbness” affecting the right side of her body. <\/p>\n
She disclosed that she underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy while continuing to film MAFS, only to now receive the devastating news that further treatment options have been exhausted.<\/p>\n
In a post on Instagram on Thursday, Schilling said her \u201cworld changed\u201d in an instant after being told that her cancer had spread.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cOver the past two years, while filming MAFS, I underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy and was later told I was eligible for a groundbreaking clinical trial specific to my gene type, due to start in March 2026. Once again, my optimism soared that I might beat this thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver Christmas, however, I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side.<\/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.<\/p>\n
\u201cHearing those words changes everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy light is starting to fade \u2014 and quickly. But I am still here, still fighting, and surrounded by the most incredible love.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSimple 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
![\"Schilling](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2)
Schilling underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy while continuing to film MAFS (Mel Schilling\/Instagram)<\/p>\n
She thanked people for messaging her words of encouragement and support and said they have helped \u201cshape the mindset\u201d she needed to \u201ckeep fighting\u201d.<\/p>\n
Schilling added: \u201cIf I could leave you with one thing, it would simply be this: if something doesn\u2019t feel right, please get it checked out. It might just save your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes after Schilling announced she would be stepping back from the Australian version of the programme after 12 seasons on the expert panel.<\/p>\n
In a statement shared online, Channel 4 said MAFS Australia expert John Aiken will step in to replace Schilling for the remainder of the UK series, which is currently being filmed.<\/p>\n
The broadcaster said: \u201cAll of us at Channel 4 are immeasurably saddened by the news about Mel\u2019s health, and are sending all of our love and support to Mel and her family.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver five series of Married at First Sight UK, and twelve series of Married at First Sight Australia, Mel has become a hugely valued and much-loved part of the Channel 4 family; to many of us she is a friend as well as a colleague.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer wisdom, warmth, humour and kindness shine through, and these qualities mean that everyone involved in MAFS, from the producers and contributors, to the viewers, love and respect her as much as we do.<\/p>\n
\u201cMAFS UK is currently filming and, with Mel\u2019s blessing, her good friend and fellow MAFS Australia expert, John Aiken, has done us the great favour of stepping in for her for this series.\u201d<\/p>\n
The production company which makes the UK version of the dating show, CPL, also said they were \u201cshocked\u201d and \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d to learn about her diagnosis.<\/p>\n
CPL continued: \u201cShe is not only a valued colleague but a dear friend, and has played an integral role in the success of Married At First Sight over many years.<\/p>\n
\u201cMel is greatly loved and respected by everyone at CPL, and our thoughts with her and her family as they face this profoundly difficult time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are sending our love, strength and unwavering support.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6491,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-472296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}