MAFS' Mel Schilling shared bowel cancer symptoms that were dismissed by doctors as family announce her death
Prior to her passing, Mel Schilling sounded the alarm on several bowel cancer indicators that she claims were initially overlooked by her doctors.
The Married At First Sight star's death was announced by her family on Tuesday (24 March), in an emotional statement shared to Instagram.
Alongside a carousel of photos of the 53-year-old was a caption written by her husband, Gareth, with whom she shared a 10-year-old daughter, Maddie.
"Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love," it began. "In 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.
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"It 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. This is a woman who became a new mum and a TV star at 42 — 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.
"To most of you, she was Mel Schilling — matriarch of MAFS and queen of reality TV. To Maddie and me, she was our wee Melsie: an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate."
The Australian relationship therapist first broke the news that she'd been diagnosed with colon cancer back in December 2023, when 'a tumour the size of a lemon was discovered during a scan'.
In the years that followed, she repeatedly discussed a handful of indicators of the disease that she admitted both she and her medical team overlooked in the early days.
While filming MAFS in Australia that year, Schilling began experiencing stomach discomfort, which doctors put down to either constipation or fatigue.
"I hadn’t been to the toilet in three weeks by the time it became acute, and I somehow managed to ignore that," she said on Lorraine last year. "Particularly as women, if we have symptoms in the abdominal region generally we say 'I’ve got to toughen up - that’s something to do with my cycle'.
"Or, 'It’s a hormonal issue', and we’ve grown up knowing every month we have pain and we just have to get on with it. So we have that tendency to grin and bear it and I think there is a flow there to the medical profession where they are very quick to dismiss a woman with pain."
Though she was initially given the all-clear following an extraction surgery, Schilling revealed earlier this month that the cancer had metastasised to her lungs and brain, and there was 'nothing further they can do'.
"Hearing those words changes everything," she wrote on Instagram on 12 March. "So that’s where I am now. My light is starting to fade - and quickly. But 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’t 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."
Schilling continued: "At the outset of this journey, so many of you sent the most wonderful messages of support. They have meant more than I can ever properly express and have helped shape the mindset I’ve needed to keep fighting. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
"If I could leave you with one thing, it would simply be this: if something doesn’t feel right, please get it checked out. It might just save your life."
Continuing in her attempt to raise awareness of cancer indicators, she outlined in the caption two symptoms of a brain tumour she'd experienced - 'blinding headaches' and 'numbness down my right side'.
Tributes have flooded in to the post announcing her death, including from Channel 4 bosses, who described working alongside Schilling as a 'privilege'.
Channel 4 has paid tribute to the late MAFS UK star, with a spokesperson saying that the broadcaster was 'privileged' to have her.
"All of us at Channel 4 are incredibly saddened by the news of Mel’s death," they said in a statement. "Our thoughts and condolences are, first and foremost, with her family and loved ones."
The team added that her work on both the Aussie and UK shows 'reflected so much about her – her fierce advocacy for other women, her passion for healthy relationships and her mission to unite people in love'.
"For many who work for Channel 4, Mel was not just a colleague but a friend, someone who radiated joy, warmth and optimism, who energised every room she walked into, with humour and positivity."
Common symptoms of a brain tumour may include:
- New headaches, or headaches that are getting worse – these usually happen with other symptoms
- Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting) when moving suddenly – this usually happens with other symptoms
- Fits (seizures)
- Eye problems that are getting worse, such as blurred vision, seeing dots and lines or flashes of light, or not being able to see out of the corners of your eyes
- Feeling sleepy or fainting (losing consciousness)
- Changes to behaviour or personality, such as problems with thinking and concentration
Common symptoms of colon cancer may include:
- Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you
- Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- Blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Stomach pain
- A lump in your stomach
- Bloating
- Losing weight without trying
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Topics: Reality TV, Married At First Sight, Married at First Sight UK, Channel 4, Mel Schilling, Bowel cancer, Cancer
Rhianna Benson