Grant Denyer says he ‘feels bad’ about false New Idea cheating article

Grant Denyer has admitted he feels “embarrassed” having to explain himself after a New Idea article suggested he was cheating on his wife.

Grant Denyer has opened up further about his fury with New Idea after the magazine published photos of him with his hand on his Dancing With The Stars partner’s leg.

On Wednesday, the TV personality and his wife of ten years Chezzi Denyer publicly slammed an article suggesting he’d been “caught out” with his 22-year-old co-star Lily Collins, leaving his wife “heartbroken”.

Speaking on 2Day FM’s The Morning Crew with Hughesy, Ed & Erin today, Grant explained that he’d been comforting Lily over some personal news after they’d finished dance practice, adding that he feels as though he’s “embarrassed (his) family” despite doing nothing wrong.

“It’s such a horrible made up story that’s embarrassing for everyone,” he told the hosts.

The false New Idea story has been taken down online, but magazines are still on the racks.

Detailing the situation leading up to the moment he placed his hand on Lily’s thigh, he recalled: “We’d just been on the phone to Chezzi, we’d been FaceTiming … It had been a bit of a tough day … and Lil had a bit going on in her personal life.

“It’s not up to me to divulge what it is but I was just giving her a bit of a pep talk and fatherly advice,” he added.

“I just gave her a tap on the leg and she sort of leaned in for a bit of a hug after a chat and that’s the photo on the (New Idea) front page.”

Yesterday, he and Chezzi both took to Instagram to scold the gossip magazine for “ruining the reputation” of someone not usually in the public eye.

Grant and Chezzi Denyer at the Logies in 2019. Picture: Instagram.

“Lilz is like our adopted daughter. We grew extremely close during her month long stay with us here in Bathurst. We absolutely adore her!,” Chezzi had written on her Instagram Story.

“We’ve had all sorts of things made up about us … But it was the fact that they want to ruin the reputation of a young girl, my dance partner Lily, who’s been paid to stand next to me to teach me how to dance for two months,” Grant added today.

When asked how Chezzi has handled the false cheating rumour, father-of-three Grant admitted he “feels bad” about the saga.

“I just feel bad that I’ve put everyone in this position … I’ve given her a tap on the leg letting her know everything’s gonna be OK after we’ve just divulged our lives to each other as we’re having a DWTS meltdown, and now I’ve embarrassed my family in this situation where I’ve not even done anything wrong.”

Denyer is appearing in the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars: All Stars alongside Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac, McLeod’s Daughters star Bridie Carter, Ricki-Lee Coulter and Angie Kent.