Sam Armytage and Natalie Gruzlewski host swap on Farmer Wants A Wife pays off

Channel 7 executives who secretly relegated long-time Farmer Wants A Wife host Natalie Gruzlewski to a side role in favour of Sam Armytage would be rubbing their hands together after a big ratings win.

Bringing Sam Armytage to the fore has paid off for executives at the helm of reality series Farmer Wants A Wife.

The season 13 launch smashed the ratings on Monday night, raking in a total overnight TV audience of 1.08 million viewers nationally, of which 630,000 were in the five city metro markets.

It comes after broadcaster Channel 7 has quietly sidelined long-time host Natalie Gruzlewski to a ‘co-hosting’ role while Armytage - who joined as a guest host in 2022 - now has the prime time ‘host’ credit.

Seven though has been strangely vague around the decision to elevate Armytage while relegating Gruzlewski to the background.

When Seven’s Sunrise ran a promo segment on Monday morning, Armytage was mentioned as sole host while Gruzlewski was not referred to at all.

Sam Armytage joined Farmer Wants A Wife as a guest host in 2022, but is now the primary host. Picture: Supplied.

Gruzlewski was only featured in several frames in the first 15 minutes of Monday’s debut episode, where she interviewed past couples. Meanwhile Armytage was heavily featured as she introduced each of the show’s new contestants to their flocks of hopeful bachelorettes.

Doubling down on the ratings triumph, FWAW raked in 551,000 viewers in the five city metros on Tuesday, placing the show leagues ahead of competitors I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Lego Masters (which drew 471,000 and 435,000 respectively).

Twitter flooded with fans expressing their confusion and disappointment at the switch-up.

In addition to reminiscing on the show’s matchmaking strike rate, Gruzlewski will introduce two new partners to each farmer, and host a weekend getaway episode this season.

Natalie Gruzlewski has been relegated to a smaller 'co-host' position, with Sam Armytage the main host of the 13th season of Farmer Wants A Wife. Picture: Supplied.

Armytage is set to host their final-five selections, the Country Ball, a black-tie dinner in Sydney, and the reunion episode.

“The best way to think about it is that the roles Sam and Natalie had last year have been swapped, and both remain an integral part of the show,” a Channel 7 spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph.

“We had a little reunion which really revealed to me the legacy of the show,” Gruzlewski said in a press statement for the new season. “It was so special. We talk about numbers – nine weddings, 25 babies – but it’s another thing to talk to past couples and see their beautiful children play.”

Time will tell whether this stroll down FWAW memory lane is her unofficial swan-song.

As for the ratings, the change-up hasn’t harmed the show at all. In fact, Armytage’s star turn looks to have given FWAW a boost.

It was the most watched entertainment program on Monday night, when it went head to head with juggernauts from rivals Nine and Ten by way of Lego Masters and I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! respectively.

Lego Masters scored a national audience of 691,000 and five city metro viewership of 502,000 while I’m A Celebrity came in with 599,000 nationally and 457,000 five city metro.