Married at First Sight U.K. host Melanie Schilling has tragically died just two weeks after she revealed she had terminal cancer.
She was only 54 years old.
In a post to her Instagram account, seemingly shared by her husband Gareth Brisbane, he wrote, “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love.”
Keep reading to find out more…
“In her final moments, when I thought cancer had taken away her ability to speak, she ushered me closer and whispered a message for [daughter] Maddie and me that will sustain me for the rest of my life. 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,” he wrote.
He added, “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.”
“On behalf of our family and her incredible friendship group, thank you for the support from around the world,” he added. “Life can be beautiful, and life can be incredibly cruel. But ultimately, life is fleeting, fragile, and tomorrow is promised to no one. If you can do anything to honour Mel, please live life to the full, love your people well, and try not to sweat the small stuff….I had 15 wonderful years with my soulmate, and it was the privilege of my life to be by her side. For that, I will be forever thankful…Goodbye, my love. My one. Until we meet again.”
On March 12 of this year, Mel posted, “In December 2023 I was diagnosed with colon cancer after a tumour the size of a lemon was discovered during a scan. “Terry,” as I called him, was successfully removed and I was initially given the all clear — that much many of you already know.”
She continued, “Unfortunately, in late February 2024 during a routine scan, small nodules were discovered in my lungs. The cancer had metastasised and my world changed again in an instant. Over the past two years, while filming MAFS, 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 then added about what happened this past year: “Over Christmas, however, I began experiencing blinding headaches and numbness down my right side. 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.”
Our thoughts are with Mel‘s friends, family, and loved ones. RIP.
See photos from her May of 2025 appearance in the gallery of this post…
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