Australian TV star Melanie Schilling has shared an honest health update, admitting in a new interview that “it’s getting tough now” after months of cancer treatment.
The 52-year-old dating and human behaviour expert, who moved to the UK in 2021, announced in December 2023 that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Mel Schilling gives cancer update.
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She is now halfway through her treatment and said she continues to feel fatigued and nauseous.
“It feels like I’m hungover or pregnant every day, which is not fun,” she told The Mirror.
“In true ‘me’ fashion, the day we moved was the day I started chemotherapy — I don’t do things by halves.
“It’s been a tricky time as I’ve been adjusting to going through that and moving house.”
She credited her husband Gareth, who she said did most of the move and could “pick up the slack”.
Schilling spoke about when symptoms first started to show while filming reality TV series Married At First Sight in 2023.
“The last quarter of 2023, I was in Australia filming MAFS and there was a crossover with filming in the UK so I had to fly back and forth,” she said.
“That was hard because it’s a long flight, so you’ve got the tiredness and the jet lag and I’m 52!
“My body was complaining about all the long-haul flights and I thought that’s all it was.
“My digestive system packed to a halt and I started having stomach pain. I wasn’t paying attention to my body because I was so busy.
“I’m a big foodie and I noticed something was really wrong when I couldn’t eat anything or even hold down a cup of tea.
“Once I got home, I realised I hadn’t eaten anything in around a week and I hadn’t been to the toilet in three weeks.”
She said in this time she had lost more than 6kg and had resorted to a liquid diet.
“I wasn’t even aware of how much I had lost, so things were serious. But I never thought it would be cancer,” Schilling said.
The dating expert said since her diagnosis she has been using her platform of more than 225,000 Instagram followers to raise awareness for colon cancer and its common symptoms, as well as connecting with charities.
“I want to get people talking about this and remove the ridiculous stigma we talk about other bodily functions,” she said.
“We talk about boobs all the time when it comes to breast cancer. Let’s talk about poo as well.”
Schilling has undergone a successful keyhole surgery as well as five rounds of chemotherapy.
“I’m exploring a range of traditional and non-traditional treatments to give me the best chance of beating this so it’s positive so far,” she shared.
Schilling has previously said she was expected to make a full recovery.
Colon cancer treatment usually involves surgery to remove the tumour.
Many people with colon cancer can be asymptomatic at first but symptoms can include a change in bowel habits, stomach discomfort, weakness and weight loss, according to Mayo Clinic.
The Australian Department of Health recommends colon cancer screenings for people over 50 every two years.
Ninety per cent of cases can be successfully treated if found early.