WHAT? The Bachelorette's Rhys is already married!

Some very unexpected news about The Bachelorette's biggest smooth talker, Rhys Chilton, has come out of the woodwork.

It's been revealed the model slash poet slash aspiring French speaker is already married.

The 29-year-old wed his US-based girlfriend Kelsi in 2014, but the pair separated shortly after.

Kelsi told OK magazine that Rhys approached her for a divorce earlier this year, and that she had "no clue" he would be competing on The Bachelorette.

"He only cares about himself... and should not be dating that beautiful girl Georgia [Love]," she told the publication.

Rhys released a statement to the Daily Mail explaining why he chose to go on the reality show, despite his divorce still not being finalised.

"Coming on the show has been my way of getting back into dating," he said.

"I have explained my situation to Georgia for being here and she understands my reasons."

Rhys has been portrayed as somewhat of a colourful character on the show, but he insists his on-air persona is all an act in an effort to protect himself from the producers' editing.

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"I’m super-strategic about all that,” he told TV Week. “I think the best protection in a show like this is to, instead of letting them paint you how they want, give them something else.

"So, instead of them going, 'Oh, we don't have a character for Rhys - we'll make him into the a**hole of the group,' I'm giving them something on a platter: the romantic, deep guy who's really good-looking and has a good chest!"

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