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 saw coming. Now she’s speaking out about the first sign of bowel cancer she almost ignored, and why she wants everyone to listen to their bodies.

Mel revealed that the first warning sign came while she was filming the show. A doctor initially told her it could be constipation and sent her home with medication, but the pain didn’t go away. Deep down, Mel felt something still wasn’t right.

The first warning 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 go to the toilet more often than usual. Some people also feel as though their bowel has not fully emptied after going.

At first, the only sign that something might be wrong Schilling experienced was constipation and abdominal pain, which wasn’t unusual around her period.

“I was just feel 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 more tests, doctors discovered the truth.

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

The tumor had to be removed with surgery, and Mel later admitted the diagnosis came as a huge shock — especially since she had almost ignored the symptoms. She later said she had been dismissing the warning signs for a long time.

“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 going through surgery and treatment, Mel decided 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 can be treated much more easily if it’s 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 mean something serious —
and that trusting your instincts could make all the difference. Please share this with friends and family.