Before she passed away, Mel Schilling revealed that her family was a pillar of strength for her through her battle with cancer.
Sadly, the MAFS expert passed away on March 24, weeks after she revealed her terminal cancer diagnosis.
Her husband, Gareth Brisbane, confirmed her passing on Instagram and shared more about her final moments with her family.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
She is survived by Gareth and her daughter, Maddie.
“To most of you, she was Mel Schilling — matriarch of MAFS and queen of reality TV,” he added. “To Maddie and me, she was our wee Melsie: an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate.”
Weeks before she revealed her diagnosis, Mel revealed that she quit MAFS to spend time with her family in the UK.
“It has become clear that I must make a change that puts my family, health and time at the very centre of my life,” she said in a statement confirming her exit.
Read everything you need to know about her family below.
Who was Mel Schilling married to?
Mel first met her husband, Gareth, on a dating website in 2010, and they dated for eight years before they got married.
They tied the knot during a romantic ceremony in Bali in 2018, and have been loved-up ever since.
Speaking to our sister publication, WHO Magazine, about her wedding day, Mel said: “I had a bit of a cry on the day. It’s just the meaning of it all.”
“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 when I was nearly 42, so to be finally saying our ‘I dos’ was an emotional time. It was very special.”
Did Mel Schilling have children?
Mel’s daughter Maddie was born on November 3, 2015. Now 10 years old, Mel often posts about her daughter online.
The 54-year-old had her daughter at the age of 42; however, this wasn’t the first time she had been pregnant.
“I got pregnant when I was 40 and had a miscarriage, and that really changed things. That was a real eye-opener and just made me realise how much I wanted a child. Both of us did,” she revealed in an interview with OK!
Following her heartbreaking experience, she and Gareth chose to go through the route of IVF, and luckily, they were successful.
“I feel like I worked really hard to bring her into this world, and now that we have her, and we’re only having one, she’s just so incredibly important to us,” Mel told our sister publication Woman’s Day in 2022.
Mel clearly adores her daughter, and as it turns out, the two are very similar in some ways.
“We’re both very much performers, and she’s a natural in front of the camera, but she’s started to become a bit of a director. There are a lot of imaginative plays,” Mel said.
How did Mel Schilling’s family help her through cancer?
Mel’s family were her steadfast support network during her battle with cancer.
The dating coach was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023 and has been very open with her followers throughout her journey in a bid to raise awareness and remove the stigma around the disease.
Speaking to 9Entertainment, she said she spent the first six months of 2024 filming MAFS UK while she was undergoing chemotherapy, and then returned to film the dating show in Australia.
She first announced that she was undergoing her final round of chemo in late July 2024 when she shared a photo of herself with her husband with the caption: “Date lunch with the big guy to celebrate my impending FINAL round of chemo.”
“Lovely day on the river, beautiful food, a sip of wine & optimism all around,” she continued in the caption.
At the time, she told OK! that her husband was her “rock” and her young daughter understood it and supported her “in her own way”.
“He’s gone through his own tough year as he’s had grief in his life, but has still been there for me,” she told the publication about Gareth at the time.
“We have a non-traditional relationship, I guess, as I’m the one who goes out to work and he does the majority of parenting at home. It works well for us.”
She told 9Entertainment in January 2025 that she was in remission.
But in March 2026, she revealed that her health turned for the worse and her diagnosis became terminal.
“Over Christmas, however, I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side,” she explained in a lengthy post on Instagram.
“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.”
Why did Mel Schilling leave MAFS Australia?
Mel confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, February 17, that the 2026 series of MAFS Australia would be her last.
“After 12 extraordinary seasons, I have made the heartfelt decision to step away from my role as an expert on Married at First Sight Australia,” she confirmed.
“This hasn’t been a choice I’ve made lightly. In recent years, my health challenges and living in the UK, spending up to three months a year away from my family is no longer sustainable. It has become clear that I must make a change that puts my family, health and time at the very centre of my life.
“What began as a small social experiment has grown into a global phenomenon, and I have felt truly privileged to be part of that journey. I am incredibly grateful to the fans, the production team, and my fellow experts for their trust and passion over the years.
“I am leaving not with sadness, but with a deep sense of gratitude for everything we’ve achieved together.
“Stepping away from the Australian series is the right move for my future, though I look forward to continuing my work with Married at First Sight UK. Thank you for being part of this chapter with me.”
Sadly, just days later, Mel confirmed that her cancer had returned and spread to her brain, and she passed away on March 24.
