MAFS bosses find new pro to step in after Mel Schilling's death - report
Mel Schilling had been on the pro panel of the beloved programme from 2016 up until she passed away in March (26) after losing her battle with cancer.
Married At First Sight Australia bosses have reportedly lined up a new expert to join the panel in the wake of Mel Schilling’s tragic death.
Mel had been on the pro panel of the beloved programme from 2016 up until she passed away in March (26) after losing her battle with cancer.
Now, the expert filling her shoes on the panel has been revealed, according to the Daily Mail - Brigitte Zonta, who is known as “Dr Lurve”.
A source told the outlet: “No one can replace Mel, and that is not what they are asking Dr Lurve to do. She has her own voice, her own energy and her own way of connecting with people.
“She can be warm and entertaining, but she can also cut through the excuses when somebody is not being honest.”
The insider added that Brigitte is the perfect fit for the panel as she also “understands modern dating”.
Brigitte, who describes herself as “Australia’s no.1 relationship coach”, will be joining John Aitken and sexologist Alessandra Rampolla on the panel.
Despite the fact that Brigitte’s social media pages state that she’s currently travelling, the Daily Mail said she’s recently returned to Australia to start her new job.
The reports about Brigitte’s involvement in the show have yet to be officially confirmed.
It also remains to be seen whether or not she will step in to replace Mel on the British version of the show - Married At First Sight UK - where she served on the panel alongside Paul C. Brunson and Charlene Douglas.
Mel’s passing, aged 53, was announced in March by her husband Gareth, who wrote on Instagram: “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 [daughter] Maddie and me. 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. (sic)"
