The beloved dating coach died in March at the age of 54, after doctors had informed her that the cancer she had been diagnosed with had spread to her brain.
Schilling was first diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023 and had undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy while filming MAFS.
The psychologist-turned-TV host helmed the expert panel of the Aussie franchise for 12 seasons and also appeared in five series of the UK version on Channel 4.
While attending the Logies in Australia – which is Australian TV’s big awards night – Aiken described it as a ‘bittersweet’ return to the Channel Nine set to film the latest series.
Speaking to Nine.com.au on the red carpet on Sunday, he said: ‘It’s a little bittersweet with Mel not being here now, it’s sort of difficult at times. But, we are flying the Married At First Sight flag.’
John Aiken described it as a ‘bittersweet’ return to the Channel Nine set (Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images for TV WEEK)
Alessandra Rampolla was also at Australia’s big TV night (Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images for TV WEEK)
Fellow show veteran and sexologist Alessandra Rampolla agreed that the atmosphere behind the scenes had significantly altered, saying: ‘Yes, it’s very different this year, but we are really enjoying the process of creating something new also.’
The new love coach goes by Dr Lurve and has billed herself as Australia’s number one relationship expert on her Instagram.
It comes after reports that the show has found a new dating coach (Picture: Nine)
Dr Lurve, whose real name is Brigitte Zonta, is understood to have signed on for the show’s 2027 season, according to the Daily Mail.
Aiken also spoke at the Logies about the progress of the upcoming 14th series, revealing that the contestants are already being forced to confront their bad dating habits – but he didn’t say anything about the reports of the new dating coach.
‘It’s early on in the experiment, so with that being the case, they’re really being tested in terms of whether they’re able to open up and let someone in, or whether they’re just going to keep to their old patterns and basically rule people out,’ he explained. ‘That’s always fascinating, to see who dives in.’
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