Mel Schilling dies: 5 things you need to know about the hair-raising bowel cancer symptoms the MAFS star experienced

When Mel Schilling told us there were no further treatments for bowel cancer

two weeks ago, Mel Schilling In an Instagram post, she revealed that after a period of time in remission from her cancer, she was told on Christmas Day that doctors had no further treatment options.

Bowel cancer and toilet habits

Nearly 44,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer, which is part of the digestive system, every year. This cancer is the second most deadly cancer in the UK, killing 16,500 people every year.

Mel Schilling The first symptoms of bowel cancer

Schilling revealed her cancer diagnosis in December 2023 via a social media post, in which the Married at First Sight star detailed the initial symptoms that prompted her to see a doctor.

1. While filming in Australia, she experienced severe stomach cramps on set. She visited her Sydney GP, who diagnosed constipation and prescribed laxatives.
2. However, she arranged to have a scan on her return to the UK. She later learned she had colon cancer, a moment that changed her life. She was then admitted to hospital where a “lemon-sized” tumor was removed from her colon.
3. She said the tumor could have been fatal if “undetected for an extended period of time” and later provided an update indicating that keyhole surgery to remove the tumor had been successful and that her next step was three months of chemotherapy.
4. After a “routine scan”, doctors then told her the cancer had metastasized to her lungs. In a message written a week before her death, Mel mentioned that she had undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy and had been previously informed that she was eligible for a “groundbreaking clinical trial” that would begin in March 2026.
5. She began experiencing severe headaches and numbness on her right side and was told the cancer had also spread to her brain, leaving doctors with no choice.

“My glow started to fade — and fast. But I’m still here, still fighting, and surrounded by the most incredible love,” she said.