A lovelorn NSW farmer is licking his wounds after being dumped from reality show Farmer Wants a Wife to make way for a higher-profile contestant.
Scott Mitchell, a stud farmer from Culcairn in the NSW Riverina, was poised to star in the reality TV show but a phone call last week threw that into turmoil.
Mr Mitchell was told by production company Fremantle Media that he was one of the final six farmers pitched to Channel Nine, but he had been replaced - by Lachlan, whose first TV quest for love, in Married At First Sight, ended when he broke up with his "wife" Clare after the show finished.
Channel Nine claims Lachlan, a NSW cattle farmer, had been an applicant from the beginning and Mr Mitchell, a 36-year-old father of two, simply missed out.
The farmer says he now wants to close this chapter of his life and move onto the next.
"I'm 36, I've been through a fair bit, I don't need to lie about stuff," he said.
"I've got nothing against their call.
"The integrity on their side of things, I judge that, but they have a business to run."
Mr Mitchell said he was embarrassed and upset by the "disappointing" deception but said he was overwhelmed by the support shown by friends and family.
"I thought I'd let all my friends and family down," he said.
"You don't get to know the ins and outs of what people think of you until something like this happens and everyone is so supportive."
Mr Mitchell said he turned his phone off to avoid answering the same questions but he is now ready to ready to put it all behind him.
"I'm looking forward to the future," he said.
"It's been a great ride.
"There's definitely someone out there for me, I'm just going to have to find them the old fashioned way."
