By Glen Williams
The rural romance that bloomed on TV is set to culminate in a country wedding.
They met on reality TV show The Farmer Wants A Wife. And the moment farmer Chris Newsome laid eyes on the beautiful Kim Tierney, he knew he’d found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Kim, a Geelong-based disability support worker, says she felt the same. Before too long, she’d taken the brave step of leaving behind her family and friends and moving to the relative seclusion of Chris’s farm near Tamworth, New South Wales.
And now Kim, 33, and Chris, 35, have announced their engagement.
Woman’s Day went down to the farm to find the happy couple blissfully in love and excited to be embarking on their new life together.
Kim, how do you describe Chris?
Kim: He’s very friendly and very outgoing.
Chris: That sounds like you’re describing a dog.
Kim: No, I’m warming up! He’s really warm, honest, genuine. He’s very what-you-see-is-what-you-get, and that’s one of the main things I first liked about Chris. There’s no games, it’s just who he is. He’s really honest, and treats me so well. He puts me first all the time. He’s a really wonderful partner and friend. We are best friends.
Chris, how do you describe Kim?
Chris: It’s definitely good to have her as my partner and fiancée as well as my best friend. From day one, it was amazing how we connected. I’m quite slow to open up to people and warm to people. Sometimes I’m a bit standoffish until I get to know someone. But when I met Kim I felt like I’d known her for ages.
What do you do when you’re away from the farm?
Kim: We go waterskiing. That’s probably one of the main things that we do on Lake Keepit. And we’ve been exploring all the little towns around here and having lunches there. There are beautiful places around here.
This show has changed your life.
Kim: It really has. Wherever we go, people recognise us — from 16-year-old boys to 80-year-old women. And everyone is just so nice and they tell us how much they love the show. It’s very scary putting yourself out there on TV. But everyone has just been so positive to us.
Chris: The rural sector’s been through such a tough time. So it’s good that our story could be something positive from the country.
Tell me about the Hoff.
Chris: He’s a Hereford bull and I’ll be selling him at the Easter Show this year. I had to write a blurb for him and I said, “You’ll have no hassles with The Hoff.”
How easy was it to fall in love on television?
Chris: Had you asked me before doing the show, I might have said, “I don’t think it will happen”, because it seems too staged. But once I found Kim, it felt so natural. We didn’t worry about the cameras. If we felt like holding hands or giving each other a hug, we did.
Kim: I just think we felt very comfortable with each other right from the start and, believe it or not, we forgot about the cameras. So it was easy just to build a relationship anyway.
Did your love intensify once the cameras were off?
Chris: I knew if I didn’t tell Kim how I felt, she’d go home not knowing. For me I knew I had to go with my heart and natural feelings.
Were you worried that perhaps your emotions had been swept up by the hype of the show?
Kim: I was worried. But I knew the way I felt about Chris was the real thing. But I wanted to give it some time, just to be doubly sure, because for me it was a big thing to move interstate. I left everything to be with Chris. When you’re in your 30s you’re a lot more careful about doing these sorts of things.
Where did you get the ring?
Chris: When I was in Geelong, we were shopping just before Christmas. There was no secret — we’d already decided that we were going to be together. And a new jewellery store had opened, Charles Rose.
Kim: I knew they were a place where you can find a nice diamond. A lady in the shop recognised who we were and we asked her please not to tell anyone. Our parents didn’t even know we were thinking about marriage. And she was great.
Did you like the ring Chris chose?
Kim: I loved it. It’s a white gold band with a 1.2 carat diamond. It’s a nice, simple design.
Chris: I’m a simple sort of bloke. I know what I like and I saw that ring and it was destiny. To tell you the truth, I don’t know anything about rings, but the lady in the shop helped me. And she had no idea I’d bought it, because I told her I’d have to sell a bull before I bought a ring.
It seems like you two were destined to be together.
Chris: Yes, it’s strange we were talking about this. Kim didn’t know about the show and by chance she saw the Today show and I was on it. And she said, “Oh, he looks nice.”
Kim: Had I not watched the Today show that day, I’d never have seen Chris.
Why did you decide to go on The Farmer Wants A Wife?
Chris: I just thought … get out of my comfort zone. I lack a bit of confidence so I thought, if anything, it will help me with my confidence.
Did you go on genuinely looking for love?
Chris: Yes, for sure. I was hoping I’d find someone, but I didn’t think I would.
Pictures: Andrew Jacob
For more of this interview, see this week’s issue of Woman’s Day (on sale March 10, 2008).
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