My husband says he isn't my client!

Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling on the key to the success of her marriage and the show

- RIANNE ISON

If anyone’s qualified to speak about finding love after being matched on a blind date, it’s Married At First Sight’s relationship expert Mel Schilling.

While she may not have married a stranger in front of TV cameras like the contestants, Mel, 50, fell for her husband, Gareth Brisbane, after turning to dating site eHarmony.

“We were nearly 40 when we met,” Mel tells us. “I was single for my whole thirties, not interested at all in dating. In fact, my friends used to say I had ‘F off’ written across my forehead whenever boys came near me.

“But I was 39, getting older and I thought I would really like to have someone to spend my life with and have that companionship with. So I went on to eHarmony and there he was. He was from Northern Ireland but was in Australia at the time.”

She continues, “What really clinched the deal is that he lived in a different state to me so we couldn’t physically meet for six weeks. We were texting for six weeks and we got to connect emotionally and intellectually.”

Mel and Gareth’s blossoming romance quickly turned serious and they went on to tie the knot in 2020. The pair also have daughter Madison, now seven.

However, that’s not to say the couple’s journey to parenthood hasn’t been without some bumps in the road.

Mel explains, “We were older parents – 42 – when we had her. I had her through IVF and that was a challenge for us to go through, but so worth it.

“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.