heartbroken

MEL Schilling’s “heartbroken” MAFS co-star John Aiken has admitted he is “struggling to breathe”, as he broke his silence on her death.

The Australian relationship expert, 55, revealed his immense grief after Mel tragically died aged 54 following a brave battle with colon cancer.

The much-loved dating coach was known for her work on both the Married At First Sight Australia and UK versions of the show.

Today her MAFS Aus co-star John shared a picture of him with his pal from 2016 and one from the recent series, and penned an emotional message which read: “It’s with great sadness and heavy heart that today I lost my dear friend and fellow MAFS expert Mel Schilling.

“I am heartbroken, devastated and finding it hard to breathe.

“It was a privilege and an honour to sit beside her on the MAFS couch and watch her shine. She was warm, supportive and honest, and she deeply cared about all our participants. I had a front row seat to her remarkable skills and she truly believed in the experiment. At her core she loved love.”

Read more on mel shilling

FEARLESS MEL

How Mel Schilling hid cancer hell from legion of fans despite pain off camera

LAST OUTING

Final pictures of late Mel Schilling four months before tragic death

John also talked about their relationship off screen, and the “fun” they would have when the cameras weren’t rolling.

“And when her illness struck she never complained. She kept her challenges to herself and continued to deliver time and time again. She was an inspiration, a fighter, a leader,” the grief stricken star said.

“It’s not fair that my partner in crime is gone. She was one of the good ones. I am unravelling just thinking about it. I wanted to sit on our couch together forever. She knew my rhythms and I knew hers. But it’s simply not to be.

John admitted he was “distraught” that he had to accept she was now gone, and ended the heartfelt message with: “I love you and I miss you gorgeous.. xx”.

Mel and John were incredibly close having worked on MAFS Australia together for ten years, including the latest series which is airing right now on E4.

Mel’s MAFS UK co-star Charlene Douglas also paid an emotional tribute, where she reflected on their close bond.

Taking to Instagram, she wrote: “I’m both devastated and heartbroken to hear of the passing of my MAFS queen and friend Mel.

“I had the pleasure of spending time with Mel in her last days and will forever treasure the laughter, the memories and love we had for each other.

“Mel’s love for life, jokes and of course dancing will forever stay in my heart. What I wouldn’t give to be dancing to Beyoncé with you right now.

“Sleep in perfect peace Mel. Love you ♥️”

Mel was previously diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023, which later spread to her lungs and brain.

Her husband Gareth Brisbane announced the heartbreaking news today in an emotional Instagram post.

Alongside touching pictures of Mel, he said: “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love.

“In her final moments, when I thought cancer had taken away her ability to speak, she ushered me closer and whispered a message for Maddie and me that will sustain me for the rest of my life.

“It took all of her remaining strength, and that gesture summed up our wee Melsie perfectly. Even then, her only thought was for Maddie and me.”

He continued: “This is a woman who became a new mum and a TV star at 42 — and nailed both.

“This is a woman who, through two years of chemotherapy, when she could barely lift her head from the pillow, never complained and never stopped showing courage, grace, compassion and empathy, and never missed a day of filming.

“To most of you, she was Mel Schilling — matriarch of MAFS and queen of reality TV. To Maddie and me, she was our wee Melsie: an incredible mum, role model, and soulmate.”

Channel 4 hailed Mel as a friend who “radiated joy, warmth and optimism”.

Issuing a statement, it said: “Our thoughts and condolences are, first and foremost, with her family and loved ones.

“We’re privileged to be the channel that is home to Mel’s work, which was at the heart of Married At First Sight‘s phenomenal success, both in the UK and Australia.

“It reflected so much about her – her fierce advocacy for other women, her passion for healthy relationships and her mission to unite people in love.

“For many who work for Channel 4, Mel was not just a colleague but a friend, someone who radiated joy, warmth and optimism, who energized every room she walked into, with humour and positivity.

“Everyone who knew her will miss all this about her and much more. We share in the sorrow that we’re sure many viewers will now feel at this terrible loss.”

FITNESS influencer and ovarian cancer researcher Stephanie Buttermore has died suddenly at the age of 36.

Her fiancé and partner of 10 years, Jeff Nippard confirmed the shocking news in a statement on Instagram.

“It is with profound sorrow that we share the sudden passing of Jeff’s fiancée and partner of ten years, Stephanie,” his team wrote in a statement on Friday.

“As many of you know, Stephanie meant the world to Jeff. She will be remembered for her warmth and compassion, her love for her family, and her PhD research on ovarian cancer.

“We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate this tragic loss. Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time.”

The cause of her death is not known.

On Valentine’s Day, Jeff shared an image of the loved-up couple beaming into the camera.

“Relationshipmaxxing with tea time to lower cortisol levels,” he wrote in the caption followed by a heart.

“Love you forever,” Stephanie replied.

The bittersweet post has since been flooded with comments sending prayers to Jeff and other members of the influencer’s family.

“Be strong Jeff, my heart is broken,” one wrote.

“Heaven gained an amazing angel. Someone who cared so deeply for others. Praying for you Jeff and her family,” fellow influencer Heidi Somers Guzman commented.

“I can’t believe it .. I watched her all the time .. this is so unfair.. take all the time to grieve and honour her Jeff, we’re all here for you, you and Steph were the biggest inspiration and we all loved her,” a third said.

Buttermore, from Canada, gained over 500,000 followers on Instagram by sharing her fitness and nutrition journey but announced in 2024 that she would be stepping back from social media.

In her last update on May 20, 2024, she said her mental health had become “the best it’s ever been” as her “previously crippling” anxiety levels reduced to almost nothing.

However, she admitted to missing her community and updates from her friends.

“Overall the pros have outweighed the cons for me. Sometimes I still feel a void in my day-to-day life from being so removed from this app, but the positives from taking this break has been worth it,” she said.

“But believe me when I say I Iove and miss you, I truly mean it.”

More to follow…

THE mother of Deadliest Catch star Todd Meadows has pleaded for footage of her son’s death never to be aired.

Cameras were rolling when Meadows went overboard off the coast of Alaska last week.

The 25-year-old fell into the freezing waters of the Bering Sea while filming the long-running Discovery Channel series.

His body was recovered ten minutes later, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

His mother, Angela, told TMZ: “We don’t want to see any footage of the accident and do not want Discovery to air any of that footage or make money off of our son’s death.

“We hope they only air good things of Todd on that boat.”

FISHING TRAGEDY

Deadliest Catch star Todd Meadows died after falling overboard into sea

PLOT TWIST

Strictly star to transform career as execs plot to adapt novels into TV dramas

Instead, Angela said the family has requested footage of Todd crabbing so they can remember him doing what he loved.

The family is still waiting for a definitive answer about how he died, but Angela says she has been assured her son did not suffer in his final moments.

“We don’t want to put the blame on anyone, but someone has to take responsibility. We will have justice for Todd,” she added.

A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard said that on February 25, just after 5pm local time, officials were alerted that Meadows had gone overboard.

The alarm was raised by the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady, which reported he fell into the water about 170 miles north of Dutch Harbour, near Alaska.

Captain Rick Shelford confirmed the devastating loss in a Facebook post, calling February 25 “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea.”

“We lost our brother, Todd Meadows,” he wrote.

“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family. His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away.

“His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.”

Discovery Channel also released a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows.

“This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time.

“Our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express.”

Todd is survived by three sons, and a GoFundMe has been started to support them.

The Bering Sea – known for its shallow depth, volatile weather, and freezing temperatures – is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world.

The hazards of the job are well-known among those who work the waters.

Captain Sig Hansen has previously described facing “life-threatening situations” at sea.

“We’ve had events where the boat was icing down to the point where I thought there was no return, he told Fox News.

ALL Saints star Melanie Blatt says taking part in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special stripped away her confidence.

The 1990s girl group singer, 50, said she did not feel comfortable in the flowing yellow dress she wore, which she said made her “look like custard”.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping UK she said: “I felt extremely vulnerable.

“It’s taken me 50 years to feel as good as I have ever felt about myself and Strictly stripped it away from me. Nothing dodgy went on — I think they’re on their best behaviour — but I just didn’t feel comfortable in a dress.”

Mum Mel and her professional dance partner Kai Widdrington finished fifth out of six couples after performing an American smooth in the telly extravaganza.

It was won by TV host Scarlett Moffatt and Vito Coppola, who got a perfect 40 score for their cha-cha-cha.

read more on melanie blatt

JINGLE MEL

Melanie Blatt reveals reason she’s signed up for Strictly Christmas special

BEHIND THE MUSIC

Nicole & I were pregnant – All Saints’ bosses weren’t happy, says Melanie

Despite finishing second from bottom, Mel and Kai scored 36 out of 40 and she was hailed “fabulous” by judges Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.

Mel had been tipped to take part in the full series this autumn but her comments suggest there is no way back.

Yet following her Christmas Day dance on the BBC One show, watched by 7.75million at home, Mel told host Tess Daly: “I really enjoyed it.

In a telling remark, she added: “It’s been amazing yet challenging, getting out of my comfort zone, having to wear a dress, having to look like custard . . . all of these things.”

A source insisted that Mel had taken her own dress which was “styled and adjusted” by the Strictly costume team to her specifications.

They added: “Strictly would never make anyone wear something they felt uncomfortable in.”

Mel, who had five No1 singles with All Saints, revealed last year that she was serving burgers at a North London boozer.

She is no longer in the pub but wants to start a new career in the food industry.

Mel, who performed in All Saints with Shaznay Lewis and sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton said: “The main thing I want from life is peace and happiness.

“My dream is to do a cookery book or have my own cookery programme, something like ‘Cheeses of the World’. I will make it happen.”

• Mel’s full interview can be read now in April’s Good Housekeeping.