Exclusive: MAFS' expert Mel Schilling reflects on life-changing 12 months since cancer diagnosis as she shares important health update
EXCLUSIVE: The past 12 months have been life-changing for Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling who battled bowel cancer while filming MAFS Australia and UK.
One year after going public with the news of her diagnosis, the 53-year-old was thrilled to tell 9Entertainment: "I'm in remission which is such great bloody news!"
In an exclusive interview, Mel opened up about how eye-opening the past year has been as well as why working on MAFS was so "important" in her cancer journey.
Mel explained that she spent the first six months of 2024 undergoing chemotherapy at the same time she was filming MAFS UK, finishing before returning to Australia to film the upcoming season.
"To be totally honest, being at work was my favourite and it was so important because I felt like so much of myself was taken away with being unwell," Mel began.
Mel Schilling admitted throwing herself into work helped her during her cancer journey. Instagram @mel_schilling1
"All of my energy and capacity to be me was going into being sick, sometimes I couldn't even walk because the impact of chemo.
"For me, being able to step into my work role was just so incredibly rewarding for me. It just reminded me that I'm still me. I can still be of value to people, be of service. It was really, really important to me. I'm so glad that I was able to do it."
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While Mel is already rich in life experience, she admitted that her cancer journey made her realise how important it was to have a sense of humour about things.
"Humour has always been in me but throughout this it really came to the forefront and became my coping mechanism," she said.
"Would you believe I've actually have some poo emoji earrings and I just love them, they make me laugh and the help bring awareness to bowel cancer."
Mel's husband Gareth Brisbane and daughter Maddie were by her side through her treatment. Instagram @mel_schilling1
As Mel said best, "What is rest?" and so it's unsurprising that she plans on keeping busy in the year ahead and teased some very exciting projects coming up outside of the TV world.
"They'll be announced very, very soon so watch this space," she said.
Something else fans will be eagerly waiting out for is Season 12 of MAFS, which premieres on Monday, January 27.
Despite the TV juggernaut going into it's tenth year on air, Mel said she's not surprised that fans across the world keep coming back for more.
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"People love the chance to get to look inside other people's relationships and what's more is that often our audience see parts of themselves reflected in the brides and grooms.
"There's definitely a personal investment for audiences and there's also a bit of an education element as well as entertainment."
Mel is looking forward to a fresh new season of MAFS coming January 27. Instagram @mel_schilling1
Mel, who has been a part of the show since it's second season in 2016, was excited to reveal MAFS would unveil a "surprising new format" this year.
"It actually takes the experiment in quite a new direction," she teased.
Season 12 of Married At First Sight will premiere on Monday January 27 on Channel 9 and 9Now at 7.30pm.
Stream every episode of Married At First Sight for free on 9Now
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