'Married at First Sight Australia' Relationship Expert Mel Schilling Has Died at 54

Fans of the Australian and U.K. versions of Married at First Sight watched relationship expert Mel Schilling guide new couples for years. Then, in early 2026, she stepped away amid her health struggles. And on March 24, 2026, the longtime expert in the franchise died. Now, fans want to know the cause of Mel Schilling's death and what happened.

Although she didn't share her health struggles too much with the couples who came and went on MAFS, she was open with her fans and social media followers about what she was going through. So when her husband, Gareth Brisbane, shared the news of her death on her Instagram, fans were quick to comment their condolences and share their feelings about Mel's family's loss.

Mel was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023. She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, all while filming MAFS. In the years that followed, her cancer spread and, in March 2026, Mel died from the complications related to her cancer diagnosis. But she shared updates with her supporters every step of the way.

In early March 2026, weeks before her death, Mel shared an Instagram update about her health. In her March update, she shared with her fans and followers that the cancer had spread to the left side of her brain. Because of that, she was told there wasn't anything more that doctors could do.

"Hearing those words changes everything," she wrote at the time. "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."

When Mel died, her husband Gareth posted the news in a statement on her Instagram account. He shared a collection of photos of Mel and Mel with him and their daughter from over the years. In the caption, which serves as his statement about her death, Gareth wrote that Mel was, to him and their daughter, "an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate."

Although Mel continued to work as a relationship expert on MAFS throughout her treatment, in February 2026, she announced on Instagram that she planned to step away from filming for the first time in her 12 seasons with the show. She explained at the time that traveling for the show and being away from her family amid her health struggles was too much for her.

She added that she still planned to work with MAFS U.K. A little more than a month after she made that announcement, Mel died. She is survived by her husband, Gareth, and their daughter, Maddie.