Friends, colleagues and fans of Married At First Sight star Mel Schilling have paid tribute to ‘a beacon of light’ following her death at the age of 54.
Mel’s husband Gareth announced on Tuesday that the dating expert had died just days after revealing her cancer had spread to her brain. Mel was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023.
Her husband Gareth confirmed the news on Instagram on Tuesday in a beautiful statement in which he spoke about her love for him and their daughter Madison, 10.
The post was met with an outpouring of comments from Mel’s loved ones and fans of MAFS UK and Australia, both of which she starred on.
Mel’s MAFS co-star John Aiken, who starred on the UK and Australia versions of the show with Mel for ten years led the tributes with a heartbreaking message about his ‘partner in crime.’
Alongside photos of one of their first TV appearances together alongside one of their last, John wrote: ‘Where it began and where it ended.’
‘It’s with great sadness and heavy heart that today I lost my dear friend and fellow MAFS expert Mel Schilling. I am heartbroken, devastated and finding it hard to breathe.’
‘She came into my life 10 years ago and together we rode this juggernaut, being there for one another through it all. Nothing could prepare us for what lay ahead, but she was always in the fox hole with me.’
‘It was a privilege and an honor to sit beside her on the MAFS couch and watch her shine. She was warm, supportive and honest, and she deeply cared about all our participants. I had a front row seat to her remarkable skills and she truly believed in the experiment. At her core she loved love ❤️’
‘And behind the scenes we had so much fun. Before going on set we would sing, dance, face time her daughter and eat lollies. Every time I came to set she would squeal, jump out of her chair and run and embrace me – squeezing me tight.’
‘And through all of these years she was an amazing mother and wife. She was loving, committed, loyal, fun and so very very kind. And she always had as her driving force her family. She was a role model for all to see.’
‘And when her illness struck she never complained. She kept her challenges to herself and continued to deliver time and time again. She was an inspiration, a fighter, a leader.’
‘It’s not fair that my partner in crime is gone. She was one of the good ones. I am unravelling just thinking about it. I wanted to sit on our couch together forever. She knew my rhythms and I knew hers. But it’s simply not to be.’
‘Dearest Mel – I want to thank you for everything you have given me over the past decade. I am distraught. Sadly and devastatingly I have to accept that you are now gone.’
‘The MAFS universe weeps, as does all your dearest family and friends. Particularly, all my love and prayers go to Gareth and Maddie – we have all been blessed to have known her. I love you and I miss you gorgeous. xx.’
Mel’s fellow expert on MAFS UK Charlene Douglas wrote that she was ‘devastated and heartbroken to hear of the passing of my MAFS queen,’ adding: ‘I had the pleasure of spending time with Mel in her last days and will forever treasure the laughter, the memories and love we had for each other.’
‘Mel’s love for life, jokes and of course dancing will forever stay in my heart. What I wouldn’t give to be dancing to Beyoncé with you right now.’
‘Sleep in perfect peace Mel. Love you’.
MAFS UK star Laura Vaughan wrote: ‘Darling Mel. To say you were an inspiration to many would fall incredibly short. You were a beacon of light to all who knew you, loved you and watched you around the world.’
‘To know you is to be in awe of you. I remember us talking about your cancer diagnosis backstage on a campaign shoot, you grabbed my hand and with a wink you said ‘I’m a fighter, don’t you worry’ and that’s exactly what you were.’
‘I feel so privileged to have met you, worked with you and experienced firsthand the kindness you gave in abundance. It embodied you. This world is a lonelier place without you in it. Thoughts are with your family and those close to you. Rest easy now.’
Fellow MAFS star Davide Anica, who appeared on the tenth UK series of the show, shared a photo of Mel on Instagram captioned: ‘Rest in peace angel you will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Mel’s family.’
April Banbury, who took part in the 2022 series, wrote: ‘So heartbreaking. sending so much love and many prayers to you all during this time. Mel will always be remembered for the amazing strong woman she was. Rest in peace Mel.’
Elizabeth Day, Mel’s friend who she co-hosted the How To Date podcast with, wrote a lengthy statement on Instagram alongside a series of photos from their friendship.
‘I never understood the truth of the phrase ‘she lights up a room’ until I met Mel,’ Elizabeth wrote. ‘There was an inner radiance to her; a spark; a dazzle. It wasn’t just the smile or the obvious beauty. It wasn’t just the sequins she loved or the glittery eyeshadow. It was deeper than that. It was the generosity that accompanied it.’
‘She wanted others to shine, to feel special and to be loved. To be in her company was to feel anything was possible.’
‘Like many of you, I fell in love with Mel on Married At First Sight. Her insights on the couch were always brilliantly delivered, with insight and compassion. But when someone needed calling to account, she did it. She was strong. And yet her strength has an elegance to it.’
‘The recipients of Mel’s arched eyebrow would always deserve it. They would be the bullies, the misogynists, the narcissists. And she did it so well! A victim would often have no idea theri nastiness had been filleted from them like bones from a Dover sole by a particularly expert waiter.’
‘The contestants on MAFS rightly adored Mel. She taught many of them how to love – and, crucially, how to start believing they were worthy of love.’
‘We met when she came on How To Fail as a guest and we immediately hit it off. She was vibrant and funny but she was also deliciously savage in her humour when the situation warranted it. She found it hilarious that I had a crush on her fellow MAFS expert, Jon Aiken and would sometimes WhatsApp me unexpected photos of him in black tie from some promotional photoshoot they’d just done.’
‘For your eyes only’ she’d text.
‘When I had the idea for a podcast called How To Date, I only ever wanted Mel to host it. I felt so lucky when she agreed. She was amazing, of course. A total pro. And she believed in it. She believed in me, which was a special kind of gift.’
‘Mel’s attitude was always ‘why not?’ Why not aim high? Why not dance till the early hours? Why not have another spicy margarita? Why not meet the love of her life online at 39 (this was something we both had in common)?’
‘All of this meant that I didn’t really believe it when she told me her cancer had returned. Mel was so vividly ALIVE. It felt like a cosmic practical joke; the universe saying: ‘haha just kidding, I had you going there for a moment!’ I just knew that she’d be ok.’
‘Except that she wasn’t.’
‘She was told the cancer had come back the day before our launch party for How To Date, held with cruel irony on Valentine’s Day. She came to that party, swathed in fabulous gold sequins, looking stunning. We danced to House of Pain’s Jump Around. We jointly cut into a camp, pink wedding cake. She showed up. She always showed up.’
‘She told me over Christmas that the cancer had spread. I didn’t know how little time we’d have left. I’m so blessed that I got to see her the week before she died.’
‘My girl,’ she said and we squeezed each other’s hands. Mel brought so much love to the world. It makes me happy to think that she found love with the amazing Gareth and their incredible daughter Maddie. To watch that family go through the unimaginable has been a lesson in courage and grace. A lesson in love, most of all.’
‘I feel so sad she’s gone, of course. I still have all those voicneotes we sent each other. All the photos and videos: the digital trails of friendship. But I also feel that pulsating, vivid energy of hers pushing through the atmosphere of life, urging us all forwards, encouraging us to ask Why Not of love, of ourselves and of each other.’
‘My girl. Travel safe. Love you.’
Celebs Go Dating coach and friend of Mel’s Anna Williamson wrote in an Instagram post: ‘What a woman. A fighter til the end, an end that was far far too soon. All of our Channel 4 family are grieving the loss of Mel. She touched a lot of people on and off screen.’
‘As her E4 ‘stable mate’ and with a love of coaching others and juggling being telly mums we naturally gravitated towards eachother, held a deep respect for eachother and became friends. Mel was always optimistic in spirit about her cancer diagnosis and fight for recovery.’
‘She never complained when she’d message, and was always putting in the fight for her Gareth and Maddie. Many people were touched by Mel and benefited from her badass approach to life, her work and her family and I know that legacy will continue.’
‘And it’s her beautiful family who my heart goes out to in particular, I can only imagine the pain at her loss, the sheer love and pride she had for her Gareth & Maddie was off the charts!! A fiercely proud wife and mama ❤️ Rest now my friend. Thanks for the always cheery voicenotes ‘just because”.’
Fearne Cotton posted a string of heart emojis and Bryony Gordon wrote ‘I’m so sorry to hear this. Sending much love to you all xxxx.’
Vicky Pattison commented Absolutely heartbreaking. A beautiful woman inside and out… my thoughts are with your family and friends
All Saints star Nicole Appleton wrote: ‘So unbelievably heartbroken sending so much love to you all ❤️xxx’.
Channel 4, which airs MAFS series in the UK, released a poignant statement, paying tribute to ‘our friend who radiated joy, warmth and optimism.’
‘All of us at Channel 4 are incredibly saddened by the news of Mel’s death. Our thoughts and condolences are, first and foremost, with her family and loved ones,’ read the statement.
‘We’re privileged to be the channel that is home to Mel’s work, which was at the heart of Married at First Sight’s phenomenal success, both in the UK and Australia. It reflected so much about her – her fierce advocacy for other women, her passion for healthy relationships and her mission to unite people in love.’
‘Just as importantly, we’d like to pay tribute to Mel as a person. 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 postivity.’
‘Everyone who knew her will miss all this about her and much more. We share in the sorrow that we’re sure many viewers will now feel at this terrible loss.’
CPL, who make Married at First Sight UK added: ‘All at CPL were deeply saddened to hear of the death of our beloved friend and colleague, Mel Schilling.
‘Over many years, many of us have been privileged to work with Mel on Married at First Sight, and her loss today will come as a tremendous sadness to all who knew her.’
‘Mel went far beyond being just a fantastic on-screen presenter; she was a friend to CPL, and to many of us who worked with her.’
‘We send our love and heartfelt condolences at this incredibly difficult time to Mel’s family, friends, and all who were close to her. She will be deeply missed by everyone whose lives she touched.’
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of Mel Schilling’s death and send our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones.
‘Mel’s courage in speaking so openly about bowel cancer, from her diagnosis through to treatment and everything in between, has already made a profound difference. By sharing her story, she has helped raise vital awareness and encouraged countless people to listen to their bodies and contact their GP when something doesn’t feel right. That message has the power to save lives.
‘Every 12 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with bowel cancer, making it the UK’s fourth most common cancer. If you’re experiencing symptoms of bowel cancer like bleeding from your bottom, blood in your poo or a change in your pooing habits, please contact your GP to ask for an at-home test.’
Mel first revealed that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023, and she had to have surgery to remove a 5cm tumour.
In a lengthy Instagram post last week, she revealed that she found out her cancer had metastasised to her lungs in 2024, and over Christmas it was discovered it had spread to her brain.
Mel had written: ‘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.’
She explained that she has undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy during the past two years while also filming MAFS.
She was due to start a new clinical trial this March, however over Christmas she began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down her right side.
After tests it was discovered the cancer has spread to her brain and there is nothing further doctors can do. She wrote: ‘My light is starting to fade – and quickly.’
