Tammy Hembrow and Bailey Smith confirm they are just friends as they navigate dating on Tinder together

Tammy Hembrow and Bailey Smith have confirmed they work better as “just friends” following the high-profile duo’s widely publicised dating era earlier this year.

The fitness influencer and AFL star made headlines after they were spotted on the Gold Coast walking arm-in-arm on the beach and reportedly shared a kiss in full view of trailing photographers.

And in August, they both shared a racy picture of their dinner date in a romantic Melbourne dining spot.

However, the duo are now freshly single and are looking for love on Tinder.

On Monday, the pair announced they are stepping into 2026 firmly as friends, teaming up with Tinder ahead of Dating Sunday on January 4, the busiest day of the year for dating apps.

As friends navigating dating together, the dynamic duo are giving each other honest dating advice, refreshing their Tinder profiles, sharing banter tips, red-flag checks and first-message feedback and championing a friend-first approach to dating.

Hembrow, 31, said she has become “so close” with the Geelong star since dating him a few months back, with Smith, 25, adding they work better as friends.

“We have a bunch in common and are genuine friends at this stage, so leaning on each other for dating advice feels so natural,” Hembrow said.

“I’ve always leaned on the girls for dating advice, and now I’m enjoying getting Bailey’s male perspective on my dating life. It’s been fun, and I’m learning something new.

“My friends often spot the red flags before I do, and I think 2026 is the year we should all tune into how our friends view our date when we might be clouded by that honeymoon haze.”

The mother-of-three also said Smith was keen to amp up her “flirty banter and steer me clear of any bad vibes”.

“As for his Tinder profile, I’m going to reduce the number of shirtless pictures for sure! Tinder daters, watch this space!”

Smith said less shirtless photos would be “a big change” to his profile but said Hembrow wasn’t safe either.

“I’m diving right into her Tinder bio and bringing better chat to her dating game,” he said.

“I’m so glad I met Tammy, and while we tried our hand at dating each other, we’ve realised we work better as friends. She’s got a great outlook on dating that is light-hearted, and I think I’m going to really value what she has to say.

“Tammy has always been good at dating with intention and communicating her goals, so I’m excited to see what direction my dating life goes with her guiding me.”

As for their dating profiles, Hembrow spruiks she is a non-smoker, works out often, drinks socially on weekends and loves cats.

A song she is loving at the moment is Man I Need by Olivia Dean, and she hopes she can find that particular man on her ideal date of getting an iced long black at sunrise on the beach.

For guys looking to date the social media star, they should know she is interested in travel, cooking, live music, gym, fashion, shopping, self-development and watching Marvel and Disney movies.

For women hoping to steal Smith’s heart, his interests include parties, nightlife, surfing, coffee, gardening and nature.

While he is looking for a long-term relationship, something more short-term still suits him.

Their reunion reflects the rise of Friendfluence - a top trend in Tinder’s Year in Swipe, where singles increasingly rely on their friends’ perspectives when making dating decisions - 42 per cent of young singles say friends influence their dating life, and 37 per cent plan to go on group or double dates next year.