During Friday night’s episode of Married At First Sight, John Aiken became emotional while discussing the serious illness of his colleague, Mel Schilling.
Mel, 54, shared some very sad news with her fans on Thursday: her cancer has spread to her brain, and doctors have told her there are no further treatment options available.
John, age 55 and known for appearing on Married at First Sight for 11 seasons alongside Mel, publicly responded to the news in an interview with Allison Langdon on the program A Current Affair. He became visibly emotional during the conversation.
He expressed disbelief at how rapidly the illness had taken hold of her. Describing her as a remarkable and vibrant person, he emphasized her strength and determination to fight it.
We had known for two years that she battled cancer intermittently, but she never complained or showed any sign of her struggle.
‘And so this has come as a complete shock to all of us.’
Wiping away tears, John fondly remembered special times he’d shared with Mel during their time on Married at First Sight, ever since she first appeared on the show in 2016.
He explained that he’d been looking at photos and listening to music for the past day, noting she really loves 80s music.
Many people are surprised to learn that before filming begins, we often have fun – singing and dancing – while getting our hair and makeup done. Then, on set, we address any unprofessional behavior happening between the actors.
John praised Mel for being a wonderful mother to her 10-year-old daughter, Maddie, who was conceived through IVF with her husband, Gareth Brisbane.
She’s incredibly powerful and dynamic. He explained that she would travel all the way from the UK just to perform on our show.
She anticipated making multiple trips back, but her thoughts were always with her daughter, Maddie, and her husband, Gareth.
She really relied on them for support, and I’d often see her chatting with Maddie on FaceTime while getting ready. She’d be showing Maddie her outfit and asking for advice.
John expressed his hope to return to the UK to see Mel, after learning his co-star recently shared she doesn’t have much time left.
He explained that he joined the show, Married at First Sight UK, with Mel’s support and with the plan to potentially pass the opportunity on to her next year.
Unfortunately, things have become quite sad. I’m hoping to see her while I’m in London, if I can, just to have one last conversation.
Mel told John that her colon cancer, first diagnosed in December 2023, had spread to her brain earlier this year. It had previously spread to her lungs.
Despite the difficult situation, John remained hopeful that she would recover. She consistently looked ahead and told him she was determined to overcome the cancer, promising to fight and win.
He explained that he constantly reached out to her with texts, photos, and voice messages, offering his support and believing she would recover.
‘And just last night I found out she’ll, you know, it’s not gonna happen.’
You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about life lately, and it’s hitting me that time is really moving. It’s shifted from celebrating new beginnings at weddings to, sadly, attending more funerals. It’s a tough realization, but it reminds you to cherish every moment.
As we get older, it becomes clear how important it is to cherish the people we have in our lives right now, because you never know how long you’ll have with them, he explained.
Mel shared heartbreaking news with her Instagram followers on Thursday, revealing that her cancer has spread to her brain and is now terminal.
The Married at First Sight star shared in December 2023 that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent surgery to remove a 5cm tumor.
However, in 2024, the cancer metastasised in her lungs and, over Christmas, it spread to her brain.
She shared a deeply moving message, saying she doesn’t know how much time she has left, but she’s determined to keep fighting with everything she has, and she feels loved and supported by those around her.
Mel shared that over the last two years, she completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy all while filming Married at First Sight.
She was scheduled to begin a new medical trial in March, but over the Christmas holidays, she started getting severe headaches and lost feeling on her right side.
Tests revealed the cancer had spread to her brain, and doctors have determined there are no further treatment options. She shared that she was losing strength rapidly, writing, ‘My light is starting to fade – and quickly.’
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2026-03-13 12:19