MAFS Expert Mel Schilling's Fact File: Age, Net Worth, Qualifications and Husband

27 February 2024, 19:05

Married At First Sight’s Mel Schilling has become a household name, but there’s a lot about her that we don’t know! How old is she? What are her qualifications? Who’s she married to? Does she have children?

Married At First Sight’s Mel Schilling appears on both the Australian and the UK version of the show, so she’s been on our screens almost every night, for at least a third of the year over the last couple of years.

Mel first appeared on Married At First Sight Australia back in 2016 on their second season, alongside John Aiken and Dr Trisha Stratford who, in recent years, was replaced by Alessandra Rampolla.

However she only joined the UK version of the show in 2021, but it didn’t take her long to become a fan-favourite amongst the other two experts, Paul C Brunson and Charlene Douglas.

• Read more: MAFS’ Expert Mel Schilling Calls 2024 Australia Cast ‘Absolutely Abhorrent’
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It might have had something to do with her five years experience on the Australian show, or maybe it was her established career as a psychologist, or maybe she just had a face for TV, but regardless we want to know a bit more about Mel; how old is she, who’s her husband? Does she have any kids? What’s her net worth and did she ever star on Neighbours?

How old is Mel Schilling

Mel was born in 1972, which makes her 52-years-old. She was born in Melbourne, Australia by her parents Paul and Beth Schilling and she also has a sister named Rebecca Atkinson.

What is Mel Schilling's height?

Mel’s surprisingly not as tall as she appears on television, standing at just over 5 feet.

She spoke about this on her website, where she stated, “I’m quite the tiny package and people often comment 'oh you’re so much smaller than you seem on TV' when they meet me. But I pack a whole lot of energy into this small frame and what I lack in height, I reckon I make up for in enthusiasm!”

What is Mel Schilling’s net worth?

We know how these ‘net worth’ things work right?

It’s an estimate at best and sources on the internet have estimated that Mel’s net worth sits roughly between $1 million to $2 million AUD (£500, 000 - £1 million). That’s a lot of money, but also it adds up when you take into account the variety of Mel’s work.

She’s not only an expert on two versions of Married At First Sight, she’s also a confidence coach, public speaker, consultant and then on top of that, you can include her various collaborations, sponsorships and media appearances.

Adding that all up, maybe the internet is undervaluing our favourite expert’s worth.

What are Mel Schilling’s qualifications?

Mel has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology as well as a Graduate Diploma in Psychology.

She’s been a practising psychologist for over twenty years, beginning her career in 1998 as a Consulting Psychologist at Morgan and Banks. In 2001 she took on a role as Senior Consulting Psychologist with Personnel Decisions International, then went into consulting as a Consulting Psychologist for Extraversion Consulting.

Mel continued to climb the corporate ladder until she made it to the top as Director and Consulting Psychologist of Be. Talented in 2008, where she remained for nine years before being cast on Married At First Sight.

Her credentials speak for themselves, so when Mel tells you your behaviour is toxic, you better listen to her.

Who is Mel Schilling’s husband?

Mel married her husband Gareth Brisbane in 2018, but the pair have been together for much longer than that.

Gareth is hugely successful in his own industry, holding a PhD. in Computer Security, he's a development leader for Mercer Australia.

Ironically, they met on a dating website and before tying the knot in Bali eight years later, a destination that holds a special place in both their hearts.

Speaking to WHO Magazine about her wedding day, Mel said: "I had a bit of a cry on the day. It's just the meaning of it all. I was a late bloomer in life, like, I didn't meet my husband until I was nearly 40 and then we had our daughter when I was nearly 42, so to be finally saying our 'I dos' was an emotional time. It was very special."

Does Mel Schilling have children?

Mel has an eight-year-old daughter called Maddie who she often posts about online on her Instagram.

As she mentioned in her interview with WHO Magazine, Mel had her daughter comparatively quite late in life at the age of 42.

The psychologist has openly talked about her struggles to conceive in the past and how when Maddie was born, it was quite a miracle, because she had previously had a heartbreaking miscarriage.

In an interview with OK!, Mel said, "I got pregnant when I was 40 and had a miscarriage and that really changed things. That was a real eye-opener and just made me realise how much I wanted a child. Both of us did."

After that experience, Mel and husband Gareth decided to go through the route of IVF to have their child, and they found success.

Was Mel Schilling in Neighbours?

The most surprising fact about Mel has to be her work as an actress. During the time she built her career as a consulting psychologist, the woman also managed to find time to appear in two of Australia’s most iconic tv shows.

Neighbours, which is well loved to this day in the UK and procedural cop show, Blue Heelers which ran from 1993 to 2006.

Her background in both psychology and her experience on the set of television shows essentially guaranteed her the role as expert on Married At First Sight, and the rest is history.

Did Mel Schilling have cancer?

At the end of 2023 Mel revealed she'd been diagnosed with colon cancer and underwent surgery to remove a tumour just before Christmas. She will soon undergo chemotherapy and was able to have a short stint back at work before beginning the next part of her treatment.

Mel said she had severe stomach cramps while filming in Australia, but ignored them as she tried to focus on getting through work. However, when she visited her doctor back in the UK she was told she had colon cancer and that she had a five centimetre tumour.

The tumour was removed a few days before Christmas and luckily hadn't spread, but she'll undergo chemo as the next stage of her treatment.

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