Tim 'Rosso' Ross and Tom Williams

It’s only too fitting for Tim ‘Rosso’ Ross to be reminiscing about his younger years, because he and his wife of almost three years, Michelle Glew, are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first baby in June. And while the 40-year-old won’t be ferrying his offspring around in a Holden Kingswood, as his mother once did with him, Rosso admits ‘cruisy dad’ will definitely be his parenting style.

‘I’m planning on being the good guy and letting Michelle deal with the discipline,’ admits Rosso, whose childhood memories are described in hilarious detail in his new memoir, Mum Had a Kingswood. His hope is that by playing good cop now, he’ll reap the rewards when he’s old and frail. ‘I’m covering all bases to make sure they don’t neglect me in some home.’

With his future sorted and his present looking very bright, especially now that he’s in his mum’s good graces (‘She loves that I named my new book after her,’ Rosso explains), OK! decided a trip into the past was in order. But first, we needed to find the Kingswood that was the inspiration behind the former radio funnyman’s latest endeavour. ‘You bring the car, and I’ll bring the friend,’ Rosso said, not liking our chances. We were in luck with the Kingswood, though, and even luckier that the mate he brought along happened to be TV personality Tom Williams, 40 (in Movember fashion). Add the retro albums, clothes, nibbles and a backdrop of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and the pals of more than a decade hammed it up for old time’s sake…

Firstly, congrats on your baby news, Rosso!
Thanks, I’m stoked. It happened just as I was getting used to having some sleep.

Are you getting in as much ‘mate time’ as possible before the baby’s arrival?
Tom: Yeah, this summer we’re doing a holiday here in Sydney.
Rosso: I’m going to the beach, I’ll be dropping in at Tommy’s, I’ll use the pool…

How long have you been friends?
Tom: About 11 years.
Rosso: We met on radio.
Tom: I was a caller for his radio show on Triple J.
Rosso: We had him on as a regular; he was on the radio for a bit before we met face-to-face. We had no idea he was such a strikingly handsome young man.