‘My light is starting to fade’: Married At First Sight expert reveals cancer has spread

Married at First Sight’s long-standing relationship expert Mel Schilling has revealed her cancer has deteriorated and spread into her brain.

Schilling, who began her stint on the panel 12 years ago, announced in February that she was stepping down from Australia’s most-watched reality TV show due to “health challenges” and to prioritise her family.

Schilling, 54, shared on social media early on Friday that the cancer had spread to the left side of her brain. She was first diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023.

“Over Christmas ... I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side,” she wrote in the Instagram post that included a photograph of her with husband Gareth Brisbane and their daughter Madison. “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.

“Hearing those words changes everything.

“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.

“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.”

Schilling said when she was first diagnosed with colon cancer, she was told the tumour was the size of a lemon and had been successfully removed in a surgery.

She was given the “all clear” but in late February 2024, Schilling underwent a routine scan and a doctor discovered small nodules in her lungs.

The cancer had metastasised, and for the past two years Schilling has undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy, all while filming the reality TV series.

“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,” she wrote.

In December 2025, came the news the cancer had spread to the brain, forcing Schilling to make the heartfelt decision to step away from the show “due to health challenges” in February.

In a statement, Nine said they were “deeply saddened” by the news and described her as a “woman of extraordinary depth, kindness, and an unshakeable spirit”.

“Mel’s honesty and her ability to face life’s hardest moments with such strength and openness is something we admire,” the statement said. “She isn’t just a colleague; she is family. Our thoughts, love, and strength are with Mel, her husband Gareth, and her daughter Maddie during this incredibly difficult time. Mel, we are all behind you.”

Married At First Sight is broadcast by Nine, the owner of this masthead.

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