Layne Beachley has made a shock confession about her long-term partner, INXS star Kirk Pengilly.
In a candid new interview, the seven-time world champion surfer, 53, who has been married to the 67-year-old rocker for 14 years, revealed that she had no interest in him when they first met.
She said Kirk was overweight, unhealthy and had a dress sense she wasn’t fond of.
‘There were no sparks. No chemistry. No connection,’ Layne told the Sydney Morning Herald this week.
Layne explained that the pair were ‘set up’ by Kirk’s friend and fellow rocker Jon Stevens.
She continued: ‘Kirk wasn’t in his best shape at the time: a seven-year relationship had recently broken up and he was overweight and unhealthy.’
Layne Beachley made a shock confession about her long-term partner and INXS star Kirk Pengilly (both pictured). The seven-time world champion surfer, 53, revealed that she had no interest in him when they first met
When Layne met Kirk she said hewas overweight, unhealthy and had a dress sense she wasn’t fond of. Pictured: Kirk (left) and INXS band mate Jon Farris photographed in their 80s heyday
Kirk, at the time, also had a taste for ‘loud’ floral outfits, which Layne saw as another drawback.
‘The Hawaiian shirts he was wearing looked like muumuus. It wasn’t a good look,’ she said.
Stevens finally persuaded her to give Kirk another chance.
The second date, which involved ten-pin bowling and a meal, was another dud, Layne said, until the pair polished off a bottle of wine with the restaurant’s owner, who had recognised that the date was a disaster.
She invited him back to her house, and the sparks finally flew.
‘I didn’t want to have sex with him on the first date, but I also didn’t want to continue pursuing this relationship if he was a sh** kisser.
I said to him, “Come out onto the balcony, check out the view and kiss me.” And it was a good kiss.’
The couple have been together ever since, with Layne referring to Kirk as the ‘love of my life’ in a sweet birthday tribute last July.
After two dud dates Layne revealed that romance finally sparked when she discovered that Kirk was a ‘good kisser’. (Pictured in 2015)
In an interview with Stellar magazine in October 2020, they revealed how the Covid lockdowns brought them closer.
‘When it was truly lockdown, we were sitting down and eating at home all the time… and we’ve become more social with each other,’ Kirk said.
While acknowledging how the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the lives of many, Layne said that she’s been able to see the silver lining.
‘COVID has been a s**t time for a lot of people, but it’s been an absolute blessing for me – and allowed me to reset,’ she explained.
‘Before March, we were all gung-ho and we never really considered stopping to reflect on the quality of our lives, the nature of our relationships, and the quality of our health and wellbeing.’
