Appearing at the prestigious NZTV Awards last night, where Crossman was nominated for TV Personality of the Year, the couple were all smiles on the red carpet before showing off the special new tattoo Walsh had got earlier in the day.
Undoing his shirt while on the carpet, Walsh unveiled the tattoo Crossman had teased on her Instagram account earlier in the day, revealing it to be a blond-haired mermaid.
Speaking to the Herald, Crossman proudly beamed as she said, “It’s me as a mermaid”, while Walsh added, “It’s fish Kim”.
Tom Walsh shows off his tattoo inspired by fiance Kim Crossman. Photo / Carson Bluck
Sitting beside a tattoo the talented cameraman had got done previously — an outline of a heart with “Kim” written inside it — it was “right next to my other hark” and feeling a “little tender”, Walsh noted, before Crossman revealed a behind-the-scenes moment of the tattoo process.
“Do you want to know something funny?” she chuckled, saying, “When he was getting it done, I stepped out to take a phone call and this [the mermaid’s hair] started to bleed so when I came back, I thought it had red hair and I turned into a psycho for about 30 seconds.”
The Snack Masters host added, “I was like ‘Oh, okay, it’s good to know that that’s bubbling underneath’.”
Tom Walsh had got the tattoo done earlier in the day as a tribute to his fiance, Kim Crossman. Photo / Carson Bluck
That tattoo is probably inspired by Crossman’s love for the ocean. The media star and actor has been studying marine biology in recent years and spoke to Ensemble last year of her plans to one day mix her love for television with her education. “I’m developing a show and I’m in school at the moment for marine biology because that’s the show I want to create: entertaining but secretly educational. Those are the two North Stars that I’m heading for.”
She added, “If I’m going to develop a show in that area, I should have a real base knowledge because the alternative is stepping into it in a host role and being fed lines, and I really want to take a role in the driver’s seat.”
In 2020, the actor also partnered with the Live Ocean Foundation — founded by sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke — to help raise awareness of the health of the ocean and how climate change, pollution and overfishing are damaging its natural ecosystems.
At the time, she said her decision to team up with the foundation was simple. “For me the ocean has always been my happy place. It represented holidays, freedom and peace (and a break from my busy brain). With increased pollution, waste and rising sea temperatures, I have seen the deterioration of the spots I frequent when I dive. It’s heartbreaking.”
It comes after the pair shared the news of their engagement on Instagram in September. Posting an adorable photo of Walsh holding her hand to show off the spectacular ring, Crossman simply captioned the post: “Yes yes yes!”
Walsh popped the question while the pair were holidaying on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, great Taylor Swift ticket wars and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.
