MAFS UK's Mel Schilling admits she 'ignored the signs' of colon cancer
She's urged fans to get any symptoms checked!
Last updated 16th Jan 2024
Married At First Sight UK expert Mel Schilling has shared an update after revealing the heartbreaking news that she'd been diagnosed with colon cancer back in December last year. The 52-year-old relationship expert appeared on This Morning on Tuesday 16th January, where she urged viewers to get any symptoms checked, after she 'ignored the signs'.
Speaking to hosts Dermot O'Leary and Josie Gibson, Mel said: "I was ignoring the signs for such a long time, my energy had dropped and I was doubled over and shouting in pain. I was doing a lot of international travel so I blamed it on the travel. In my mind I had a busy year and I thought I could rest in December."
Although she did eventually go and see a GP in Australia, it wasn't until she went to see a specialist in the UK when she discovered the diagnosis.
Taking to Instagram following her appearance on This Morning, Mel told fans: 'Well … that was a very different @thismorning segment today. Rather than offering advice to others, I had the opportunity to talk about my own experience - my bowel cancer journey.
'I think the key messages from our chat were:
'🙋♀️ Listen to your body, if something feels wrong ask for help (Don’t gaslight yourself, you know your body better than anyone else)
'🙋♀️ If your bowel habits have changed ask your GP for a Poo Test (aka a FIT Test) it’s a quick, simple, painless test that will indicate any signs of bowel cancer
'🙋♀️ Prevention is better than a cure, so live the healthiest lifestyle you can
'Thank you to the wonderful @josiegibson85 and @dermotoleary for being so kind & sensitive and to the incredible @drnighatarif for your medical knowledge & wisdom.' (sic)
Mel previously took to Instagram to share the news of her diagnosis back in December 2023. Posting a photo with her family, she wrote: 'YOU HAVE CANCER. Three little words that everyone dreads but no one ever expects to hear. Last Thursday my consultant told me those 3 words.
'About a month ago when I was filming in Australia I developed severe stomach cramps on set, I put it down to all the travel I’d been doing and the upset it caused to my system. I saw my GP in Sydney and he put it down to constipation, gave me some laxatives and sent me on my way. Fortunately I knew something still wasn’t right so I booked in for a scan when I returned to the UK. On Thursday I was told I had colon cancer and in an instant my whole life changed.
'John Lennon famously said that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans, how right he was. This week I had planned to travel to Northern Ireland with my family to spend Christmas with loved ones. Instead tomorrow morning I’m checking in to hospital to have an operation to remove a 5cm tumour in my colon, a tumour that had it gone undetected for much longer would have killed me.
'Despite this I feel incredibly blessed that it’s a cancer that is relatively easy to eradicate, I’m expected to make a full recovery though it’s a rough road ahead. I also feel so lucky to have an incredible support network around me, both personally and professionally, my own family and my TV family have been amazing this past few days.
'It will be so tough to spend Xmas Day in hospital instead of being surrounded by family but getting rid of Terry (what I’ve named my tumour) will be the best present of all. I just wanted to finish by saying that if something doesn’t feel right, please, please don’t ignore it and if you don’t think the answers you have got are right, keep going until you do, it might just save your life 💋.' (sic)
Later in December, Mel went on to explain that she'd had keyhole surgery to remove the tumour, which she refers to as 'Terry'.
Sharing a photo from hospital, Mel said: 'So yesterday lunchtime I had keyhole surgery to remove my tumour (AKA Terry) and in the words of my amazing surgeon it couldn’t have gone any better! Crucially the cancer hadn’t spread to my abdominal cavity, which was our greatest fear but was entirely localized in my colon. Over the coming days I will discuss my treatment plan going forwards but suffice to say that Terry is toast! 🥳.'
Going on to thank those who have sent supportive messages, and express her gratitude for the NHS, Mel continued: 'I have been absolutely blown away by the countless messages of support I have received from all of you beautiful people, I am so very touched and can honestly say it’s made a difference, so thank you all.
'I also wanted to say that everyone in the UK should be incredibly proud of the people of the NHS. I’m not talking about the funding, the structure or the waiting lists, just the people.
'Everyone from my consultant to the surgical team and especially the wonderful nurses managing my recovery have been just superb. It’s not just their professionalism but also their genuine concern, bedside manner (especially the nurses) and their endlessly sunny disposition, despite working up to 14 hour days. I owe all of these wonderful people my life and I will be forever indebted to them. The NHS is a unique, precious institution we need to make sure it’s here to serve our children and our children’s children.'
Despite the diagnosis, Mel is now back at work filming for the 2024 series of Married At First Sight.