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Sam Armytage quits Sunrise

“I want to take a break and find some peace and calm," says Sam Armytage.

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Sam Armytage has quit Sunrise in a tearful announcement this morning, ending 8 years on the Seven breakfast show.

The shock announcement comes just weeks after her marriage to Richard Lavender and a newspaper article in which she refers to “narcissist” in television.

“I don’t think any of us want to do the same thing forever. There’s a lot about television that’s all about you and that’s an awful way to live your life. TV isn’t a place that’s necessarily very healthy,” she told interviewer Angela Mollard, before saying with a grin: “It’s full of sociopaths and narcissists – it can be a dangerous environment, let me tell you.”

“I have always been brave and fearless in my career and this decision is no different,” she said in a statement today.

“I want to take a break and find some peace and calm. I go out of this job at a time of my own choosing and on top of the ratings, which not many people on television can say they do. I cannot thank you all enough for having me in your lounge rooms all these years.”

David Koch said, “Ever since Sam joined Sunrise eight years ago, she has been the rock of the program and always led from the front.

“Sam’s humour, work ethic and team first values have been an inspiration to us all. But now it’s time for Sam to put herself and Rich first and we couldn’t be happier for, or more supportive of, them both.”

Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton, said: “Sam has been an important part of the Seven team for almost two decades, including eight fantastic years as co-host of Australia’s #1 breakfast show.

“We will be sad to see her leave Sunrise, but completely understand and support her decision to step back for a while and focus on her family. We wish Sam nothing but the very best for her break and look forward to announcing some exciting new projects for her in late 2021 and into 2022.”

But Armytage has also been frequently in headlines, followed by paparazzi and criticised on social media. She has frequently hit back over interest in her personal life, previously telling TV Tonight, “A lot of it is rubbish, but there are so many pages to fill on the internet these days, if they don’t write rubbish, what else are they going to write about? But you know… that’s the beast that it is!

“We put ourselves out there and sometimes we get shot down.”

Last December amid rumours of her future Seven news boss Craig McPherson told TV Tonight, “Sam has her beliefs. David Koch has his beliefs in certain areas. They don’t always agree but that makes for a healthy debate. We don’t like enforcing and lecturing our audience to any particular way on things but in a year that was very polarising …it’s understandable (when something said) can suddenly become a bit of an inferno out there.”

He added, “Everyone’s back next year, no changes flagged there.”

Sam Armytage departs Sunrise as the show continues to defeat its breakfast competition. Her final show is Thursday.

Later next year the show will relocate from Martin Place to Eveleigh.

37 Responses

  1. Is there any reason Johanna Griggs isn’t even in the conversation?? There are a few being considered discussed that are light years behind her…

  2. It will be interesting to see who they replace her with. I quite like Monique. But don’t know if she would want to work all week. She may like working weekends.

  3. Its 2021. Surely I’m not the only one who finds it mildly offensive that so far all suggestions of a replacement are female? What about hiring on skills and the best person for the job? I embraced Today having Georgie and Deb a couple years back. I watch ABC Weekend Breakfast which is hosted almost exclusively by a rotation of female hosts. I think I was one of the first to suggest Jennifer Byrne to replace Andrew O’Keefe on The Chase.

    That said and considering my comments above, I think the best pick for the role is a female. I think Narelda Jacobs would be awesome……but if I was to list a few more names, I would also include some talented men that others have overlooked.

  4. Throwing her employer under the bus publicly like she did recently was never going to end well.

    Didn’t Nat turn down the role when Sam started? Sarah Harris is contracted with 10 until the end of the year and its unlikely they will have a temporary host until Sarah can move across. Viewers hate change apparently.

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