Samantha Armytage signs up with Lisa Wilkinson’s agent, takes 20pc pay cut
Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage has signed with a new agent — the same man who walked Lisa Wilkinson from Channel 9 when they refused to pay her the same as her breakfast TV co-host Karl Stefanovic, Annette Sharp reveals.
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Following a five-week absence from Sunrise, Sam Armytage has surprised her Seven Network bosses by signing a new agent to better represent her interests, the bulk of which are with Seven.
Armytage last night confirmed signing with celebrity talent agency The Fordham Company.
“I left Trent Blacket over 12 months ago and have now — last week — signed with TFC,” she said.
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“(I’m) looking forward to working with Nick (Fordham) as he’s a very good operator. Good times ahead!”
The move comes within days of Seven’s executive advising all staff — including on-air talent — that they will be getting a 20 per cent pay cut in line with Seven’s revised revenue expectations.
That decision will see Armytage’s reported $500k annual contract, which lapses next year, slip to $400,000.
Armytage’s salary is dwarfed by that of her on-air Sunrise co-host David Koch, who is reportedly on $1 million a year.
Fordham is the agent who famously walked his client Lisa Wilkinson from Nine’s Today show in 2017 after Nine refused to up the ante and give Wilkinson pay parity with her co-host Karl Stefanovic — then on $3 million a year to Wilkinson’s $1 million.
Seven could not be reached for comment yesterday concerning Armytage’s new representation but its director of news Craig McPherson last month confirmed Seven and Armytage had come to a mutual agreement to give the breakfast show anchor a spell.
Armytage’s move away from Trent Blacket’s Fourward agency is also seen as a move away from her former friend Karl Stefanovic, who recently signed with Blacket to represent his US interests.