Celebrity Matchmaker Amber Kelleher, Who Worked with Eva Longoria on NBC Dating Series, Dead at 56

Amber Kelleher-Andrews, known for helping celebrities find love, has died. She was 56 years old. 

According to an official statement posted to the website of her matchmaking company, Kelleher International, the businesswoman died on April 13. A Facebook tribute from her cousin Morgan Kelleher said she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017.

“We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Amber Kelleher-Andrews — beloved Co-Founder, Co-CEO, matchmaking visionary, and devoted wife and mother. We extend our deepest condolences to her beautiful family, her many friends, the clients whose lives she touched so profoundly, and her mother, Jill Kelleher, the founder of Kelleher International,” the official statement said. 

In her early years, the California native modeled and appeared on television through her 20s. 

As time went on, she was praised for her ability to help others find sparks with their soulmates — a skill put to use for the 2013 NBC show, Ready for Love, alongside hosts Giuliana and Bill Rancic.

Eva Longoria produced the series. 

Kelleher-Andrews is credited with matching Fortune 500 CEOs and A-list celebrities as well as members of the British royal family and Rockefellers, The Hollywood Reporter said in a 2012 exclusive before the series aired.

In September 2024, she gave PEOPLE a crash course in “cuffing season” ahead of the cooler months.

Her final Instagram post was a single shot of her smiling. 

“🌟 Love is the most powerful force in the universe. 💖 It’s not just about romantic love—it’s the connection we share with everyone around us. The bonds we create, the energy we exchange, and the way we lift each other up are what truly makes life extraordinary. ✨,” she wrote in the April 3 upload.

The matchmaker concluded, “Let’s continue to nurture those connections and embrace love in all its forms. 💕”

She lived by those same words.

“Amber always dreamt of being a mother and that became a reality after she married the love of her life, Nico. We all enjoyed watching her as a mother because she was so inclusive with us in celebrating and supporting her kids,” her cousin Morgan wrote in his Facebook tribute.

Kelleher-Andrews was a board member at Virgin Unite, the philanthropic organization founded by Richard Branson, cofounder of the Virgin Group. 

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“Amber was a treasure to this world. Her joy, love, and sheer determination to make the world a better place was awe inspiring. We feel so fortunate to have had her as part of the Virgin Unite family for over a decade,” Branson, 74, said.

“Her legacy will live on in the many millions of peoples’ lives she touched through her generosity and through sparking purpose in so many peoples’ lives. She will be greatly missed, and we send our love to her entire family and to her children who she was so very proud of.”

A celebration of life will be held for the entrepreneur in Santa Barbara in the next few months, Morgan said, adding that her final resting place will be Hanalei, Hawaii.