Stars from the Married At First Sight universe have come out in droves to pay tribute to beloved expert Mel Schilling following her death from colon cancer at age 54. Her husband Gareth Brisbane announced the devastating news via social media last week, writing, “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully, surrounded by love.”
Gareth met Mel through dating website eHarmony in 2011 and they had daughter Maddie four years later. Woman’s Day was also there when the couple got married in a gorgeous ceremony in Bali in 2019.
“I had 15 wonderful years with my soulmate and it was the privilege of my life to be by her side,” Gareth posted.
Heartbreakingly, he added that in her final moments, Mel pulled him close to whisper a message for him and Maddie, 10.
“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.”
A legacy felt far and wide
While Mel’s whole world revolved around her family, her passing has clearly left an undeniable mark around the world, with current and former MAFS cast members all paying tribute to the star.
“To so many, she was known as the expert, but to me, she was a dear friend – and a truly great one at that,” 2019 bride Jules Robinson tells Woman’s Day.
“No matter how busy life became, whenever she was back in Australia, we always made time to see each other. It mattered to both of us. We had plans for the future… She had so many ideas, so much more still to do.”
Season 12 star Jamie Marinos tells us she “felt so lucky to have known Mel”, adding that the expert had supported her through “one of the most challenging and important experiences” of her life.
A reunion to remember
“I was also really lucky to see her again in London last November and that moment will stay with me forever,” she says.
“We were both just so excited to see each other and I remember being so happy to share everything that had happened since the show. She made me feel so proud of how far I’d come, like a proud mum, in that moment.”
Mel’s impact will be forever felt through the experiment’s successful couples, with 2021 groom Bryce Ruthven crediting Mel for his enduring marriage to Melissa Rawson, mum to his twins Levi and Tate.
A call that meant the world
“Mel was the only person from MAFS kind enough to call us, and congratulate us at the time of our engagement and pregnancy,” he says.
“That phone call will never be forgotten.”
Season eight couple Johnny Balbuziente and Kerry Knight echo Bryce’s sentiment, posting, “Mel played a part in our story and shaping our family, and we’ll carry her spirit with us with gratitude for the positivity, light and guidance she brought into our lives.”
A lasting influence
That genuine care for the couples extends right up until the current 2026 season too. Rachel Gilmore tells us she finds it “so hard to put into words the impact” Mel had on her and TV husband Steven Danyluk.
“Her kindness, empathy and warmth were truly special, and we feel incredibly grateful to have experienced that first-hand.”
Rachel’s co-stars Stella Mickunaite and Filip Gregov thanked Mel for guiding them as a couple with “compassion and kindness that brought us here”, adding, “Your legacy will live with us.”
Perhaps the most heart-rending tribute came from teary fellow expert John Aiken, who has revealed the final moments he spent with Mel.
“It was a very emotional time, a very special time, but I’m glad that I got that opportunity,” he says.
“She was a fighter and never complained. “It was a privilege and an honour to sit beside her on the MAFS couch and watch her shine. I had a front-row seat to her remarkable skills and she truly believed in the experiment. At her core, she loved love.”
