What the FHM New Zealand Cover Taught Me About Being Seen
Tasmyn Leigh, FHM New Zealand June 2026 cover model, on what the cover meant and why she opened a private line to her followers.
The cover
Being on the cover of FHM New Zealand was surreal. I grew up knowing the name, and seeing my own face on it for the June 2026 issue was a strange, wonderful full-circle moment.
What it actually changed
The cover did not change who I am. What it changed was the size of the door. For years I kept a lot of myself offline, shared carefully, stayed a little hidden. The cover felt like permission to open that door on my own terms.
Why I opened a private line
A magazine cover is a one-way thing. You look, I pose, that is the relationship. I wanted the opposite. So alongside it I opened a private line: a place where I actually talk to the people who follow me, in my own words, in my own time, from wherever I am.
On my own terms
That phrase matters to me. Not a feed, not a copy and paste, not a chatbot. Me, choosing what to share and who to share it with. The cover was the headline. The private line is the real story.
If you are curious about the version of me that does not fit on a cover, the first three messages are free.