Married At First Sight star Mel Schilling shares major update amid colon cancer battle

Married At First Sight Australia expert Mel Schilling has shared a major health update with fans as she begins her battle against cancer.

Married At First Sight Australia expert Mel Schilling has shared a major health update with fans as she begins her battle against cancer.

Days after publicly announcing she has been diagnosed with colon cancer, the 51-year-old took to Instagram to reveal the 5cm tumour found in her colon – which she has nicknamed Terry – has been successfully removed by doctors in the UK.

“Terry, you are the weakest link … goodbye!” she captioned a selfie from her hospital bed.

“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!”

Mel Schilling underwent surgery in the UK after doctors found a 5cm tumour in her colon.

The psychologist and dating coach, who is receiving treatment in the UK, said that the cancer thankfully “hadn’t spread to my abdominal cavity”, which doctors had initially feared.

“Over the coming days I will discuss my treatment plan going forwards but suffice to say that Terry is toast!” she added.

Schilling concluded her update by thanking both fans and the National Health Service (NHS) staff in the UK for their outpouring of support.

“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,” she wrote.

“I also wanted to say that everyone in the UK should be incredibly proud of the people of the NHS.”

Schilling in best known for her time on reality dating program MAFS.

Schilling with fellow MAFS experts Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken.

“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 resident MAFS expert only just made her diagnosis public on Wednesday, but within days she was scheduled for surgery to have the tumour removed, which if it had gone undetected for much longer, would have killed her.

Schilling had sought medical advice weeks ago after feeling “severe stomach cramps” on set while filming the upcoming season of MAFS.

Announcing her cancer diagnosis with this touching photo.

Doctors first put it down to constipation, but she knew something was not right with her body and requested a scan. That’s when the cancer was found.

“Fortunately I knew something still wasn’t right so I booked in for a scan when I returned to the UK,” she shared on Instagram alongside of a photo of her hugging husband Gareth Brisbane and their daughter Madison, 8, in front of their Christmas tree.

“I was told I had colon cancer and in an instant my whole life changed.”

Despite her diagnosis, Schilling says she’s “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,” she wrote.

“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.”

Originally published as Married At First Sight star Mel Schilling shares major update amid colon cancer battle