Dating coach Mel Schilling became a familiar face to reality TV fans around the world as an expert on Married At First Sight (MAFS), a show she worked on for 12 seasons across two countries.
Consequently, the announcement of her death today (March 24) after a years long battle with cancer has devastated fans and showbiz colleagues alike, with fellow MAFS Australia expert John Aiken sharing that 'it’s not fair that my partner in crime is gone,' and saying 'she was one of the good ones'.
The 54-year-old Australian born former psychologist was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2023, after some major red flag health symptoms were overlooked by medical professionals who said she was probably constipated, or just tired.
But after she flew back to the UK after the MAFS series ended, her doctor sent Schilling for a scan. This identified a tumor in her bowel that she called 'Terry', which was surgically removed, but in February 2024 a routine scan found nodules in her lungs which meant the cancer had metastasized.
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Early detection is absolutely key for cancer patients, even more so for bowel cancer as 90 percent of cases caught early are extremely treatable. However, Schilling's red flag symptoms were overlooked twice by doctors.
Mel's stomach cramps
Part of Schilling's issue was that she did not present with one of the most common and obvious symptoms of the cancer, which is finding blood in your stool. Instead, the dating expert was riddled with severe stomach cramps for months.
At first, like many women would, she thought this could just be a particularly painful side effect of her period, while a doctor she spoke to about the issue suggested that it could just be constipation.
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."
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."
Mel's blinding headaches and numbness
While the TV personality had, at first, dismissed her cramps as being a normal part of life, this natural human tendency to hope for the best outcome also meant that another warning sign that something was going wrong went overlooked.
With the tumor in her bowel removed and doctors talking about nodules in her lungs, Schilling was not thinking about brain cancer when she started suffering 'blinding headaches' and a numbness on one side of her body.
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 are some of the most common early signs of brain cancer, which is rarely diagnosed in its earliest stages as the symptoms are often confused with something else.
Husband's statement in full
Schilling's husband Gareth shared a lengthy and emotional statement on his wife's Instagram profile on Tuesday, March 24, announcing the Married At First Sight star's death and sharing his heartbreak.
It reads:
What Married At First Sight have said
The boss of the production company behind MAFS, Nine's Michael Healy, has also spoken out about Schilling's death, while also sharing some warm words about her unique talents.
He said:
Topics: Cancer, Health, Sex and Relationships
William Morgan