Married At First Sight's Filip reveals the pivotal role Mel Schilling played in saving his relationship with Stella

Married At First Sight couple Filip Gregov and Stella Mickunaite have shared an emotional tribute to late expert Mel Schilling, revealing the profound impact she had on their relationship both on and off screen.

The pair said they were 'absolutely devastated' by her death, after the beloved relationship expert passed away in London aged 54 following a long battle with cancer.

The couple spoke directly to Mel's family as they struggled to process the loss.

Despite being one of the strongest couples for much of the season, cracks began to emerge when Stella pushed for Filip to move interstate from Melbourne to Sydney.

The pair also faced deeply personal disagreements around intimacy and contraception, with emotions running high during a crucial commitment ceremony.

But according to Filip, it was Mel's guidance on the couch that helped them navigate the pressure.

'Mel Schilling was instrumental in helping Stella through it and told her, "Hey, focus on the emotional maturity you have with Filip that you've never had in the past,"' he told 9Entertainment.

'We really listened on that couch session and we were better for it because we had to have a chat about all that stuff.

'Other couples have been arguing about high school drama - we were worried about real-world stuff.'

Filip also admitted the pressure to say 'I love you' created a cycle of emotional withdrawal between them.

'She withdrew because she has abandonment issues and then when she started withdrawing, I started withdrawing. It was just this perfect storm,' he said.

'I hadn't said "I love you" to someone in six years… I just needed some time to figure out what was going on.'

While their relationship struggles played out months ago during filming, Mel had been privately battling her illness behind the scenes.

Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023, she underwent chemotherapy while filming MAFS UK before later revealing the disease had spread to her lungs and then her brain.

In a heartbreaking post earlier this year, she told fans there was 'nothing further they can do'.

Mel's husband Gareth announced on Tuesday that the dating expert had died just days after revealing her cancer had spread to her brain.

In a lengthy statement, he spoke of her love for him and their daughter Madison.

Mel helmed the expert panel of the Australian franchise for 12 seasons and also appeared in five series of the UK version on Channel 4.

But she had announced she would be stepping back from filming earlier this year, in order to prioritise her family and health.