Reality TV fans know her as the calm and confident expert on Married At First Sight. But behind the scenes, Mel Schilling was fighting a battle she never expected. Now she’s opening up about the first sign of bowel cancer she almost ignored — and why she wants everyone to pay attention to their bodies.
Mel revealed that the first warning sign appeared while she was filming the show. A doctor initially suggested it might be constipation and sent her home with medication, but the pain didn’t go away. Deep down, Mel sensed something still wasn’t right.
The early signs of bowel cancer are often subtle — but one of the most common is a persistent change in bowel habits. This can include constipation, diarrhoea, or needing to use the toilet more frequently than usual. Some people also feel as though their bowel hasn’t fully emptied after going.
At first, the only symptoms Schilling noticed were constipation and abdominal pain, which didn’t seem unusual around her period.
“I was just full speed ahead, doing my job, travelling the world, doing my thing and living my best life, but all of these symptoms were happening in my body and I wasn’t paying attention,” she told the Daily Mail.
Bowel cancer
“There was pain, there was constipation. But, particularly as women, if we have symptoms in the abdominal region, generally we think, ‘I’ve got to toughen up — that’s something to do with my cycle,’ and we’ve grown up knowing every month we have to get on with it.”
When she finally pushed for further tests, doctors discovered the truth.
“On Thursday I was told I had colon cancer and in an instant my whole life changed.”
The tumour had to be removed surgically, and Mel later admitted the diagnosis came as a huge shock — especially since she had nearly dismissed the symptoms. She said she had been overlooking the warning signs for far too long.
“I think I was ignoring the signs for such a long time,” she said. “My energy had dropped and I was in severe pain.”
After undergoing surgery and treatment, Mel chose to speak openly about her experience — hoping others will act sooner than she did.
“Please don’t ignore it”
“If something doesn’t feel right, please, please don’t ignore it. It might just save your life.”
She says bowel cancer is far easier to treat when caught early — but only if people pay attention to the signals their body sends. Today, the TV expert is using her platform to raise awareness and encourage people to get checked if something feels off.
Her story is a reminder that even small symptoms can point to something serious — and that trusting your instincts could make all the difference. Please share this with friends and family.
