Samantha Armytage surprised fans by announcing her departure from Channel Seven after 21 years, describing the decision as “a little sad and bittersweet.”
In a statement, the Farmer Wants A Wife host said, “I leave with lots of goodwill in my heart and excitement about the future. I’m big on instinct. I listen to my instinct. I know when the time comes. I am proud of the fact that I back myself enough to say, ‘I’ve done what I can do here’ and I move on.”
While initial reports speculated that her decision not to renew her contract was related to widespread pay cuts across the network amid declining advertising revenue, insiders suggest there were other factors at play.
“Since Sam left Sunrise, all they’ve really given her is Farmer,” a source at Seven revealed. Armytage had been hosting Farmer Wants A Wife for the past three seasons.
“She wants something gritty and real, not to be relegated to reality TV. Throughout her career, Sam has traveled the world covering wars, natural disasters, and major news events, and she misses the rush that comes with that kind of reporting, as well as the sense of making a difference.”
Samantha stepped down from Sunrise in 2021 after eight years, moving to the countryside with her husband, Richard Lavender, a retired horse breeder. At the time, she cited the “scrutiny, snarkiness, and bullying” from the media and the demanding breakfast television schedule as reasons for her departure.
The source also suggested that Samantha feels women over a certain age in the industry are often “disregarded” and “seen as past it,” which has motivated her to seek new opportunities and prove her critics wrong.
In her statement, Samantha touched on this sentiment, saying: “I had to sit with myself here and ask, ‘What does my next five to ten years look like?’ I’m 47, so it was a bit of a stocktake. I’m still productive. I want to make good TV.”
Interestingly, Samantha’s decision to leave Seven comes shortly after the network announced it had signed former Network 10 star Amanda Keller to co-host Once In A Lifetime with Dr. Chris Brown. Amanda and Dr. Chris previously spent a decade co-hosting The Living Room on Channel 10, and they are being touted as a “dream duo” for viewers.