Red carpet reporter Justin Hill reveals his most awkward celebrity interviews - and tells all on his surprise New York engagement

He’s interviewed everyone from Nicole Kidman to Ariana Grande, but Sydney entertainment reporter Justin Hill insists he’s still the same Tassie boy who grew up putting on shows for his family.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, the 38-year-old opened up about his fascinating career, the reality behind the glitz and glamour of red carpets, and the moment he proposed to his longtime partner Aaron in New York.

Despite spending nearly two decades in the media industry, Justin says staying authentic has always been his priority.

‘I grew up in Tassie and I’ve never gotten used to being a big city person,’ he said.

‘In an industry where people are pretending to be other versions of themselves or pretending to be more successful than they are, the best thing you can do is be genuine. It actually makes you stand out.’

While Justin is often seen rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s elite, he revealed that the reality is far from glamorous.

He’s interviewed everyone from Nicole Kidman to Ariana Grande, but entertainment reporter Justin Hill (pictured) insists he’s still the same Tassie boy he always was

‘I have a full-time job as well – not a lot of people know that,’ he admitted.

‘A lot of people are horrified when they find out I’m working a nine-to-five and then doing red carpets after hours. They think I just get paid to get dressed up, but it’s a hustle.’

He added: ‘I’ll be in a full suit and bow tie, schlepping my camera, setting up the tripod myself, filming and editing the interviews alone.’

One unforgettable red carpet mishap involved Nicole Kidman – and a rogue fan walking straight through his shot during a solo interview.

‘Thankfully Nicole was ‘umming and ahhing’ at the time, so I didn’t miss anything important,’ he laughed.

While he has had many memorable chats, Justin candidly named Mark Wahlberg as his most difficult interview – although he insists there are no hard feelings.

‘He had just flown in for Transformers, he was jet lagged and exhausted, and I asked him a really nerdy question about the movie,’ Justin said.

‘He just wasn’t having a great day, but it taught me a valuable lesson about adapting quickly.’

While Justin is often seen rubbing shoulders with Hollywood’s elite, he revealed that the reality is far from glamorous

One unforgettable red carpet mishap involved Nicole Kidman – and a rogue fan walking straight through his shot during a solo interview. (Justin interviewing Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban)

Despite the awkward encounter, Justin said he would love a ‘do-over’ with Mark in the future.

While many reporters chase viral moments, Justin finds his biggest joy in the quiet moments after the cameras stop rolling.

‘It’s when the interview ends and the celebrity says, “That was a great chat”‘ he explained.

‘Adam Driver once thanked me for bringing up his charity, Jacob Elordi told me I was handsome – even though he told Smallzy the same thing! – but in that moment it still felt special.’

Although the world of red carpet reporting is competitive, Justin insists he avoids beefs with other journalists.

‘Scott Tweedie once told me, ‘There’s room for everyone’, and I really try to remember that,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of healthy competition, but I prefer to focus on doing my job well.’

While Justin has forged his own successful career, he admitted he still looks up to entertainment veterans like Angela Bishop with huge admiration.

‘She was one of the people I was really excited to meet on a red carpet,’ Justin explained.

Although the world of red carpet reporting is competitive, Justin insists he avoids beefs with other journalists

While Justin has forged his own successful career, he admitted he still looks up to entertainment veterans like Angela Bishop (pictured) with huge admiration

But earning the Channel 10 icon’s respect did not come overnight.

‘I feel like it took a long time to earn her trust,’ he said.

‘She’s seen a million people come and go in this industry, and she probably looked at me like, ‘Here we go, another kid trying to make it.’

‘But when I finally did earn it, and we would have honest conversations, it was well earned,’ he continued.

‘It’s actually really strange but really special to now call people like Angela a colleague – someone I watched growing up.’

Justin added that walking a mile in Angela’s shoes would be an absolute dream: ‘I really admire the people who have been doing this for such a long time – it shows you the hustle never really stops.’

Justin’s career journey started in the most unlikely of places – an Antarctic-themed park in Hobart where he gave presentations about penguins.

‘I used to take people through planetarium shows about Antarctica. One minute I was talking about emperor penguins, the next I’m dressed in a tuxedo interviewing celebrities. Not much has changed!’ he joked.

Justin’s career journey started in the most unlikely of places – an Antarctic-themed park in Hobart where he gave presentations about penguins

Earlier this year, Justin proposed to his partner of ten years, Aaron, during a sentimental trip to Brooklyn, New York

Earlier this year, Justin proposed to his partner of ten years, Aaron, during a sentimental trip to Brooklyn, New York.

‘I proposed on a street called Love Lane – he had no idea,’ Justin said. ‘The Uber driver even announced where we were going, and he still didn’t clock it.’

Despite the fairytale moment, the couple are in no rush to plan a lavish wedding.

‘We’ve been to so many ostentatious gay weddings – that’s not really us. We just want something simple and meaningful,’ he said.

While Justin lives and breathes the entertainment world, his fiancé Aaron prefers to keep things low-key.

‘He’s a nurse who works in the medical field. He thinks all the fakery at events is ridiculous,’ Justin admitted. ‘He only comes to the things he genuinely loves – like Wicked.’

Although Justin has ticked off most of his dream interviews, he said Victoria Beckham would still be high on his wishlist.

‘I love her dry sense of humour. She’s hilarious without even trying,’ he said.

And would he ever join reality TV?

‘Only dating shows get offered to me and, unfortunately, I have a partner,’ he laughed. ‘But I think my life is so crazy that people would find it fascinating.’

As for what’s next, Justin said he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

‘I’ll be doing this forever – even if it’s just me putting on shows for social media,’ he said. ‘They’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands!’