'I'm feeling so strong': Mel Shilling on filming the new season of MAFS UK while undergoing chemotherapy
It's been almost a year since Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling revealed she'd been diagnosed with colon cancer.
But today, she can proudly say she's feeling "so strong" after undergoing six months of chemotherapy – a treatment plan she completed while working over in England.
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The 52-year-old appeared on Today Extra on Monday to discuss the brand new season of Married At First Sight UK, which is available to stream on 9Now from 4pm today.
During the interview, Mel revealed that it was "tough" to film the series while undergoing chemotherapy but assured fans she's been doing "so well" in recent months.
"As you watch MAFS UK – I was going through chemo filming all of that," she said in the video, which you can watch above.
Mel Schilling spoke out about her journey in a Today Extra interview. Nine
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Season 9 of Married At First Sight UK
"But it was so wonderful to go there, be with the team and throw myself into my work and just be totally absorbed when I had those energetic moments.
"I'm now just in that rebuilding stage."
Mel said that struggling with fatigue was particularly hard as "it just sucks the life out of you", but added that she took lots of breaks, focused on her nutrition and is finally able to get back in the gym.
She also spoke of her excitement for the new season of MAFS UK, promising viewers it would be just as dramatic as expected.
Mel Schilling revealed her cancer diagnosis in late 2023. Instagram
"One of the really common themes we see across both version of the show is people come into the experiment with these expectations that are beyond unrealistic," she said.
"Certainly in the first couple of weeksof the UK version - our audience can see this.
"People having the most ridiculous ideas – quite literally saying, I just need perfection."
There's one groom in particular that Mel thinks will definitely spark conversation.
"There's this really interesting double standard; he's a guy that has struggled with body image all of his life, was teased as a kid. Here he is projecting that on his wife saying, 'I don't go for curvy girls'. He wasn't really aware he was doing that.
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"I asked him some questions, and got him to come to that conclusion. once he realised... [he was] mortified."
Mel has been sharing updates with her followers along the way. Instagram
As for the Australian version of the show, which is currently being filmed, Mel didn't give too much away.
"There's a lot happening in the Aussie season. Beautiful love that is blossoming right before our eyes..." she beamed.
For some of Mel's best moments, catch the videos below:
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