It is a story as old as time.
A middle-aged man separates from his wife of many years, begins dating a younger model, and suddenly sports a new wardrobe, haircut, and attitude.
You may think that “nice guys” are the exception to the rule. But as radio host Tim Blackwell demonstrates, even the best men falter when faced with a sycophantic twentysomething who reminds them of what their ex looked like a decade ago..
And so, 11 months after his wife Monique announced the end of their 14-year marriage, a modern and renewed Tim, 43, confirmed the worst kept secret on the radio on Friday when he stepped out with his girlfriend Lizzie, 28 years. baxter.
Lizzie, stunning, blonde and 15 years younger than Tim, is a producer of breakfast show Fitzy & Wippa with Nova’s Kate Ritchie.
Accompanied by her Nova colleagues, the pair stayed close as they attended an intimate ‘Red Room’ concert at the Coogee Bay Hotel, hosted by rapper The Kid Laroi.
Confirming the worst kept secret in the world of radio, Nova radio host Tim Blackwell stepped out in Sydney on Friday with his new girlfriend Lizzie Baxter, producer of the show Fitzy and Wippa.
Lizzie bears a striking resemblance to Tim’s ex-wife Monique (pictured together in March 2018). The former couple, who share three children, announced their separation almost a year ago
Tim looked like Liam Gallagher’s double with a modern haircut complete with a striped jacket, white T-shirt, black cuffed pants and Dr. Martens boots.
Lizzie oozed Gen Z cool with a Sabrina Carpenter-inspired blonde blowout and a strapless red minidress, completing her look with heart-print lace tights, knee-high boots, a studded crossbody bag, and a varsity jacket.
There are rumors that the lovebirds, who started dating after Tim’s marriage broke down, could make their first appearance together on the ARIA Awards red carpet.
In a flirty exchange on social media, Tim announced that he would be hosting the awards show and Lizzie asked in the comments if she could be his date for the night.
‘Do you need a date by any chance? “You’re hot,” she wrote.
‘I’ll be working. Wouldn’t that be unprofessional? Blackwell responded, before quickly adding: “I’ll think about it…”
Baxter joked in response: “It hasn’t stopped you in the past.”
Hmm.
Accompanied by their Nova 96.9 colleagues, the pair stayed close as they arrived at the Coogee Bay Hotel for an intimate ‘Red Room’ concert hosted by rapper The Kid Laroi.
Tim, 43, looked like Liam Gallagher’s lookalike with a mod haircut complete with a striped jacket, white T-shirt, black cuffed trousers and Dr Martens boots.
Lizzie oozed Gen Z cool with a Sabrina Carpenter-inspired blonde hairstyle and a strapless red minidress, completing her look with heart-print lace stockings and knee-high boots.
A source tells Daily Mail Australia that the couple have been engaging in flirtatious banter online for “a few months” and that Lizzie’s Instagram account included photos of them as a couple before she recently made it private..
Another insider adds: ‘Their relationship is well known in the industry. It’s not really a secret.
Lizzie works as a content producer for Fitzy and Wippa in the same Sydney office as Tim, who is one third of the nationally hosted show alongside Ricki-Lee Coulter and comedian Joel Creasey.
Tim and Lizzie’s date night comes almost a year after his ex-wife Monique confirmed they had split.
The former couple share three sons, Bo, 11, Alfie, eight, and Artie, five.
Monique, entrepreneur and yoga instructor, broke the news via Instagram on December 10..
“Not all good things come to an end, but this does,” she captioned a gallery of photos of her and Tim in happier times..
‘Thank you in advance for your messages of love, support and sadness at the news that Tim and I are no longer together.
‘Our babies always have Tim’s support and I love them. And our friendship is always a source of strength for our family, as we raise our children as best friends.’
A source says the pair have been engaging in flirty banter online for “a few months” and Lizzie’s Instagram account included photos of them as a couple before she recently made it private. This screenshot shows Lizzie jokingly asking Tim to be her date to the ARIAs. He suggests it would be “unprofessional,” but Lizzie replies, “(It) hasn’t stopped you in the past.”
Tim remained silent on Instagram for over a week after his wife’s announcement. He wouldn’t directly address the breakdown of his marriage until September.
He opened up about their separation and co-parenting on his podcast, Introducing with Tim Blackwell, during a conversation with singer Missy Higgins..
In a heartbreaking admission, Tim admitted he felt like a failure as a father when his marriage to Monique ended, but stressed their story wasn’t over yet.
‘Especially as co-parents, we’re still in the relationship. It just looks different. “I think we’re working harder on the relationship we no longer have,” he said.
Lizzie (right) works as a content producer for Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie.
Tim and Monique first met in 2002, after he moved to Perth to launch Nova 93.7’s hosting show.
“It’s the cheesiest radio nerd story — one of the biggest days of my career and certainly the biggest day of my love life,” he told Stellar magazine in 2018.
‘I had all the big bosses in the city, all the media there. I was shaking and completely fucking myself, but I was also elated at the same time.
‘Once it was all over we went down and had a big launch party and Monique was part of the promotions team at the time. She walked over and I had the nerve to say, “I’m new to Perth and I’d love to take you out for a coffee or something.”
Tim and Monique first met in 2002, after he moved to Perth to launch Nova 93.7’s hosting show. He was an up-and-coming presenter and she worked in public relations. (They are in the photo from March 2021)