Nova’s Tim Blackwell, 43, and his much younger girlfriend, 28, break their silence about their relationship as they make their red carpet debut – and he addresses a joke that won’t go away

Nova presenter Tim Blackwell and his new girlfriend Lizzie Baxter made her official red carpet debut at the 2024 ARIA Awards on Wednesday.

Tim, 43, and Lizzie, 28, couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they walked the red carpet and officially confirmed their relationship with Daily Mail Australia.

The couple put on a display of love as they hugged and posed for photos at the annual music awards ceremony.

Tim exclusively shared that they are dating and surprised viewers with his arrival.

Lizzie put on a leggy display at the event in an off-the-shoulder plaid minidress that she paired with cheeky tights.

The blonde beauty accessorized with a pair of chunky black heels and silver hoops.

Tim also looked dapper for the occasion, dressed in a velvet jacket and matching trousers.

The radio star completed the ensemble with a bright red button-down shirt and a pair of shiny black pumps.

Their red carpet debut comes just a day after Daily Mail Australia revealed their romance as Tim stepped out with Lizzie, 28, on Friday.

Lizzie, who is 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.

It is believed that the lovebirds started dating after Tim’s marriage broke down.

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.”

A source told 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 added: ‘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 came 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.’

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.

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.”