Married at First Sight expert Mel Schilling has shared that her brother-in-law has died (Picture: David Tarling)
Married at First Sight’s Mel Schilling has paid tribute to brother-in-law after announcing his death.
The Australian relationship coach, who appears on both the Australian and British versions of the reality dating series, shared her ‘little bro’ had been laid to rest today.
In a post on Instagram, Mel said that Paddy, the younger brother of her husband Gareth Brisbane, who is from Northern Ireland, had his life ‘cut short way too early’, aged 35.
‘Farewell Little Bro 💔 Today we lay my awesome brother-in-law Paddy to rest,’ she began the post.
‘I never had a brother growing up so when Pad came into my life (as a younger, cheekier clone of my hubby) I felt so lucky! He was a gentle giant, a guy with so much wit, warmth & swagger, the humour of a 15 year old boy & an enormous heart of gold.
‘Pad was my G’s best mate, our Maddie’s favourite Uncle Peanut and my secret men’s fashion advisor. To his beautiful partner @amymcleod95x he was everything ❤️🩹.’
She added: ‘Pad was 35 and his life was cut short way too early.’
She shared this photo of Paddy Brisbane, who she called a ‘gentle giant’ (Picture: Mel Schilling/ Instagram)
Indicating that her brother-in-law had died by suicide, Mel told the ‘men out there’ to ‘listen up’.
‘Asking for help is not weakness. Going to a health professional is a normal part of life. Making lifestyle changes to support your health is smart & strong and Talking to your loved ones about your concerns is a sign of maturity & emotional intelligence,’ she wrote.
‘Please don’t ignore your body, if something feels wrong – Speak up. Reach out. Ask for help 🙏🏼
‘Vale Paddy Brisbane.’
Mel said her late brother-in-law had a close relationship with her daughter Maddy (Picture: Mel Schilling/ Instagram)
Many people have offered their condolences and support, including Elizabeth Day, who wrote: ‘I’m so sorry Mel ❤️ sending love to you and your family.’
MAFS UK star Adrian Sanderson wrote that he was ‘so sorry and sending my love’.
Cam Merchant, who appeared on MAFS Australia in 2019 said he was ‘so sorry’.
‘Sending so much love to you & his family❤️Please have the courage to seek help. It’s the bravest thing you can do & I promise you things can & will get better if you give yourself that chance.’
ITV’s Dr Amir Khan also wrote that he was ‘so sorry’ Mel had lost someone so special to her.
Paddy was the brother of Mel’s husband Gareth Brisbane (Picture: Mel Schilling/Instagram)
In the past Mel has spoken about spending a decade single before meeting her now-husband when she was 40.
The couple shared a daughter, Maddy.
Talking about how the pair met, she told OK! Magazine in 2021: ‘I was single for my entire thirties. I wasn’t interested in anyone. I was busy travelling the world, and working overseas, I was all about building my business and just living a great life.
‘We were both nearly 40 when we met, and he just turned my world upside down. I was not expecting that! We met on [dating website] eharmony. He’s from Whitehead in Northern Ireland, but he was living in Adelaide, and I was in Melbourne.’
She explained that at first they did long distance and only met after six weeks of communicating ‘every day’, which was made more difficult by the fact she ‘couldn’t understand his accent’.
Married at First Sight is streaming on All4.
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‘His life was cut short way too early.’