Samantha Armytage to host Today while Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo are on leave

Samantha Armytage will be setting her alarm once more, to rise early and sit in the host’s seat at Today — the show that was once her direct competition.

Samantha Armytage is set to “Wake up with Today” next month, when she sits in the hot seat as host of the program.

Sunday Confidential can reveal Nine bosses have asked Armytage to “fill in” for a week and a half over the summer period, while regular hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo are on leave.

She will be co-hosting the show with Weekend Today host Clint Stanaway.

Armytage wouldn’t return Confidential’s calls on Saturday, and a Nine spokesperson said the network would confirm its summer program soon.

It is believed Nine has made the move in a bid to get the Nine audience acquainted with Armytage, who worked with rival network Seven for 21 years but recently jumped ship to host their new reality dating program.

Whether it is a “trial” for a more permanent position is yet to be seen.

Samantha Armytage is set to sit in the host’s seat on Today. Picture: Getty Images

Armytage will fill in while Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo are away. Picture: Mark Stewart

Armytage filling in over the summer is believed to have ruffled feathers within the network, with some people critical that loyal people such as Sylvia Jeffreys have been overlooked.

“There are also concerns for Sarah Abo, who could feel intimidated by Sam keeping her seat warm,” a source said.

Some are critical that Armytage has been favoured over Nine stalwart Sylvia Jeffreys. Picture: Getty Images

The source said Sam had been “reluctant” to sit in the hot seat, as she feared it would upset others at the network.

“That’s the last thing she wants to do,” one insider said. “But executives talked her around.”

It is believed it is Nine’s head of TV Michael Healy who is behind the push to get Armytage to feature on Today.

“Eyebrows have been raised as there are women who have been at that network for decades and who have withstood the toxic culture at Nine who have been overlooked for this role,” another source said.

This won’t be the first time that Armytage has appeared on Today, she was on set last month, when she appeared to confirm she had signed on as host of The Golden Bachelor.

She shared a social media post at the time with a photograph of herself with Today hosts Stefanovic, Abo, Alex Cullen and Jayne Azzopardi.

“This morning, I woke up with ... Today,” she captioned the image.

There have been rumours that Nine would try to poach Armytage from Seven to join Karl Stefanovic at Today as far back as 2017 when Lisa Wilkinson left the network.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed in August Armytage would be jumping ship from Seven to Nine after 21 years with the network.

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