Sunrise host Samantha Armytage quits to ‘find some peace and calm’

Samantha Armytage has quit as co-host of Australia’s top-rating breakfast TV show, Sunrise.

“I have some big news to announce,” Armytage tearfully told viewers on Monday. “The time has come for the sun to set on my time at Sunrise. I have always been very brave and fearless in my life and my career and this decision is no different.

Samantha Armytage said she had been “brave and fearless” in her career and her decision to leave Sunrise was no different.Credit: Getty Images

“As many of you know, of my personal life, the last six months have been very bittersweet. Some bits have been very happy and some bits have been very, very sad. I want to step out of this public world for a while, take some time and calm things down [and] enjoy a bit of slow living and spend some time with my precious family, my husband and Banjo.

“I go out of this job at a time of my own choosing and on top of the ratings, which not many people in television can say they do.

“I’m extremely proud of my almost eight years at the helm of Sunrise, my seven years before that at Weekend Sunrise and my almost 18 years with the Seven network.

“My mother used to say to me, ‘Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly; it’s your masterpiece after all.’ And that’s precisely what I’m doing.”

In 2013, Armytage replaced Melissa Doyle as co-host of Sunrise. The program has been No.1 in its timeslot since 2004, when it overtook Nine’s Today show. (Nine is the owner of this masthead.)

Armytage’s resignation follows months of speculation about whether her contract would be renewed.

In December, The Sydney Morning Herald reported: “One of the biggest question marks of 2021 hangs over Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage … tensions on the set of Sunrise have been well documented, especially the deteriorating relationship between Armytage and her former bestie, Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell. While Armytage is contracted to Seven until the end of 2021, many wonder if she will remain on the Sunrise sofa till then, especially given her priorities have shifted to marriage and hopes of starting a family.”

In January, Armytage told a radio interview she had considered giving up her media career for a quieter life.

Samantha Armytage announces her decision to step away from her role as co-host of SunriseCredit: @sunriseon7 on Instagram

Earlier this month, Armytage told News Corp’s Sunday papers: “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.

“It’s full of sociopaths and narcissists – it can be a dangerous environment, let me tell you.”

Late last year, Armytage’s mother, Libby Armytage, died at the age of 68. In an Instagram post, Armytage said her mother had been “gravely ill” with an autoimmune disease.

“She had fought bravely for a long time and suffered a lot, but finally her big-loving heart just couldn’t do it anymore,” Armytage wrote. “Mums are the centre of a family and losing ours has thrown us all in a spin and left a huge, irreparable hole in each of our hearts.”

Armytage married her partner, Richard Lavender, at the end of 2020.

Co-host David Koch described Armytage as “the rock of the program”.

“Sam’s humour, work ethic and team first values have been an inspiration to us all,” Koch said in a statement. “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,” he said in a statement.

Weather presenter Sam Mac also paid tribute to Armytage.

“Every single day is a challenge and a treat,” he said. “People don’t realise that often I can’t see you guys. All I can do is hear you through this little earpiece. And there is something extra reassuring on the days I have you in my earpiece because we both have the same very twisted sense of humour. I’m going to miss that every day.”

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 No.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.”

In a statement released on Monday morning, Armytage said: “I have always been brave and fearless in my career and this decision is no different.

“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.”

Seven’s director of news and public affairs, Craig McPherson, said: “A breath of fresh air to wake up to for eight years, Sam carved her way through thousands of hours of news, issues, debate, the odd argument or two and a large dose of humour in her very own unique way.

“Sam can be very proud of what she’s achieved, and we all look forward to her next venture across the screens of Seven.”

Pell said: “Sam’s impact on the television landscape cannot be overstated. Her warm and genuine nature, combined with her journalistic excellence, has made her a winner with viewers.

“There really is no one else like her. But all good things must come to an end, and after years of being such an important part of so many lives, it’s time for Sam to focus on her own. She goes out on top, with Sunrise on top. I think it’s her humour I’ll miss the most.”

Armytage caught the eye of Seven’s executives almost two decades ago after she covered the 2003 Canberra bushfires for Sky News. She would later become a fill-in presenter for Seven News Sydney, where she was praised for her warmth and professionalism.

The Sunrise co-host has also experienced her share of controversies while in the public eye. In 2015 she apologised after congratulating a woman for having fair skin (the woman was a guest on the show alongside her fraternal twin, who was born with a different complexion). Armytage was accused of casual racism – but a Seven spokeswoman explained at the time that the remark was part of a long-running in-joke on set in which the 44-year-old pokes fun at her own pale skin.

In 2018, Armytage attracted criticism when she hosted an all-white panel on Aboriginal adoption. As part of the discussion, Armytage falsely claimed that Aboriginal children could not be fostered by non-Indigenous families. The segment sparked protests and resulted in the media watchdog giving Sunrise a slap on the wrist for broadcasting a factual inaccuracy and inciting “contempt or ridicule” on the basis of someone’s race.

Armytage will co-host her final edition of Sunrise on Thursday.

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