Zac Franich admits he's "gutted" and "really upset" to be leaving Dancing With the Stars New Zealand.

Appearing on Mediaworks' AM Show the morning after his shock elimination, the former Bachelor star said he and his dance partner Kristie Williams had put a lot of work into their routines.

"When you throw your lot into something, it really stings when it doesn't work out," he told AM Show hosts Mark Richardson, Duncan Garner and Amanda Gillies.

He and Williams left the show on Monday night, despite achieving the third-equal highest score of the 10 couples.

Zac Franich and partner Kristie Williams left Dancing With the Stars New Zealand on Monday night, despite achieving the third-equal highest score of the 10 couples.

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However, Franich was delighted with what he had achieved in making it to the fourth week. "There were a few things we wanted to do – not to be outdanced, or feel like we didn't belong.

"I'm also proud of...how I was able to go out on a limb and challenge what a guy can look like and say."

Zac Franich says he is "really upset" to be leaving Dancing With the Stars New Zealand.

The former sprint kayak New Zealand representative and qualified lifeguard had opened up about his battle with depression on Sunday night's Dancing episode. When asked what message he had for Kiwi males now by AM Show's Garner, Franich responded: "Talk more, live more, love harder, be vulnerable."

Initially besieged by the hosting trio, who described his elimination as "karma" for breaking contestants' hearts on The Bachelor (Richardson even jokingly describing him as a "cold heartless bas...."), a relaxed Franich said he wasn't addicted to reality television, could not be persuaded to appear on The Block and hoped he would be "less known as a guy who hands out roses" from now on.

And while the 29-year-old wouldn't be drawn on who he thought should have been eliminated in his place on Monday night, Franich said he was backing Jess Quinn to win the Dancing With the Stars title.

"We train out of the same studio and she's an incredible young person."

 - Stuff