John Aiken reacts to 'MAFS' costar Mel Schilling's death: 'I lost my friend'

John Aiken finally broke the silence on the sudden death of his Married at First Sight costar Mel Schilling.

Taking to his Instagram handle on Tuesday, the 55-year-old actor paid a heartfelt tribute to the late actress.

“It’s with great sadness and heavy heart that today I lost my dear friend and fellow MAFS expert Mel Schilling," wrote John. “I am heartbroken, devastated and finding it hard to breathe.

He further penned, “It was a privilege and an honour to sit beside her on the MAFS couch and watch her shine. She was warm, supportive and honest, and she deeply cared about all our participants. I had a front row seat to her remarkable skills and she truly believed in the experiment. At her core she loved love.”

"And behind the scenes we had so much fun. Before going on set we would sing, dance, face time her daughter and eat lollies. Every time I came to set she would squeal, jump out of her chair and run and embrace me - squeezing me tight," continued the TV star.

"And through all of these years she was an amazing mother and wife. She was loving, committed, loyal, fun and so very very kind. And she always had as her driving force her family. She was a role model for all to see," added John.

For those unversed, Mel Schilling passed away on March 25, following a brave battle with colon cancer.