Dean Wells hits back at Lee Elliott for calling him ‘chauvinistic’

An unlikely reality feud continues, as Dean Wells hits back at Lee Elliott for calling him “sexist” following his Dancing With The Stars casting.

Former Married At First Sight contestant Dean Wells has admitted he was “hurt” by Lee Elliott calling him “sexist” and “chauvinistic” when he was announced as a cast member for Dancing With The Stars last month.

Bachelorette star Elliott – who is engaged to Georgia Love – wasted no time in making his opinion of Wells known following the announcement, taking to Instagram to call him out for his past behaviour on MAFS.

But Wells – who admits he was “hesitant” to appear on DWTS given the impact his portrayal on the social experiment had on his reputation, is now hitting hit back at Elliott.

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Dean Wells with dance partner Alex Vladimirov for Dancing With The Stars. Picture: Channel 10.

Speaking to news.com.au ahead of Sunday night’s DWTS premiere, Wells said of Lee’s pointed message:

“He doesn’t even know. I think I may have met him at a party once, but I definitely didn’t display any of those characteristics he was mentioning, that’s for sure.

“I think he just wanted a bit of attention,” Wells continued.

“He saw that as an opportunity to put someone else down to make himself look better or feel good … for me, that’s just not my style, but everyone’s entitled to their opinion.”

Lee Elliott's swipe at Dean Wells on Instagram. Picture: Instagram.

Admitting he can understand why he was so widely disliked after his season of MAFS – which saw him “cheat” on his “wife” Tracey Jewel with Davina Rankin in an explosive scandal that gripped viewers – he is hopeful Australia will see a different side to him on DWTS.

“I didn’t like the way I was portrayed on MAFS, so it definitely wasn’t a decision I made lightly,” he said of agreeing to appear on the dancing competition.

“After MAFS, people wanted to cling on to what they saw in the past of me. It was not me that people saw; it was such a manipulated situation, it just wasn’t who I am.

“With Dancing, all I can really do is be myself, try my hardest and learn the dances, get my discipline and my commitment levels up … If Australia sees a different side of me through that, then that’s great.”

The full DWTS cast, L-R: Dami Im, Angie Kent, Beau Ryan, Claudia Karvan, Ed Kavalee, Travis Cloke, Chloe Lattanzi, Celia Pacquola, Christian Wilkins and Dean Wells. Picture: Supplied.

Speaking of the “gruelling” rehearsals so far, Wells admitted he “wasn’t built” for dancing.

“I’m struggling a lot with the training, I’m definitely the underdog.

I’ve seen some of the other contestant’s routines and they are way more impressive,” he said, adding; “My body isn’t really made for flexibility and speed, I’m more of a utility vehicle.”

Wells said he’s had a chance to get to know some of the other contestants during rehearsals, which can run for up to five hours a day.

In the process, he’s also managed to identify what their strengths in the competition will be.

“Christian (Wilkins) is such a character, he’s hilarious and he knows how to move,” he said.

“I train in the same dance studio as him, he literally does one hour or so of dancing and then sits out in the sun with a cup of tea chilling out for the rest of the afternoon. I’m like, ‘How are you guys doing that?’

“I have to put every ounce of my effort and every second in to training just to finish the dance!”

He said Chloe Lattanzi was an “amazing” dancer, and would definitely be tough competition, but shared that there was an unlikely dark horse lurking in the cast.

“Ed Kavalee. Oh my god, Ed is the funniest guy on set,” he said.

“I think he can move and I think he’s so funny he’s going to be cracking everyone up. He’s the dark horse and I’m definitely the underdog.”

Former Married At First Sight contestant, Dean Wells said he is built like a “utility vehicle” Picture: Justin Lloyd

When asked about this season of MAFS – which promises to be just as dramatic as the instalments preceding it – Wells says he refuses to watch.

“Once you’ve seen the tricks that they use, you just can’t take it seriously,” he said,

“Once you’ve seen how they manipulate things, how they edit things, it’s just so fake. It’s like seeing how a magician does their tricks.

“I don’t regret going on MAFS, but they made me look bad because they had to make a villain, they took things that didn’t even happen, and words I said and changed them into completely different sentences,” he claimed.

If Wells takes out the crown, he’ll donate the $50,000 charity prize money to BridgIT, which provides funding for community wells in remote villages, schools and hospitals in Uganda and India.

“You’ve gotta make an idiot of yourself sometimes for charity,” he joked.

Dancing With The Stars premieres tonight, at 7.30pm on Ten.