Mel Schilling, the relationship expert from Married At First Sight, has passed away at the age of 54, just weeks after revealing that her cancer was no longer treatable by doctors.
Schilling, recognized for providing relationship guidance on the popular Channel 4 reality dating series, died on Tuesday while being "surrounded by love," as stated by her family.
Earlier in March, the Australian television personality disclosed that her cancer had spread to the left side of her brain, and that there were “no further” treatment options available from her medical team.
Mel Schilling confirms her passing in a loving tribute
In a statement shared on Instagram, her husband said: “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love.
“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.
{{/usCountry}}“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.
{{/usCountry}}“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.”
Mel Schilling's husband and daughter: All on Gareth Brisbane and Madison
Mel Schilling was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. She established a career as a relationship psychologist and dating coach over the course of three decades, but it was not until the age of 42 that she became a reality television star and a mother.
On the other hand, her husband Gareth Brisbane, who hails from Whitehead, Northern Ireland, possesses a PhD in Computer Security.
Gareth and Mel connected through the dating platform eHarmony in 2011. They maintained a long distance relationship for six weeks and mostly conversed over emails and texts.
The couple tied the knot on December 24, 2020, with Mel calling their wedding day extremely emotional.
“I had a bit of a cry on the day. It’s just the meaning of it all," she said, as per The SUN.
“I was a late bloomer in life, like, I didn’t meet my husband until I was nearly 40 and then we had our daughter Madison… when I was nearly 42, so to be finally saying our ‘I dos’ was an emotional time. It was very special.”
The couple shares one child, their daughter Madison – affectionately called Maddie – who was born in 2014 via IVF.
In his tribute after Mel’s passing, Gareth referred to Mel as "an incredible mum, a role model, and a soulmate."