New photos of the former Sunrise star have sparked quite the reaction.

Instagram/Getty

When Samantha Armytage took to Instagram on December 9 to share behind the scenes snaps from her Channel Nine show The Year That Was 2025, her social media fanbase was quick to seize on an inescapable detail.

“How is it you look younger and younger every time! Like Benjamin Button!” one viewer commented beneath the gallery of photos that showed Sam filming segments in a white Carla Zampatti vest and trousers.

“Sam, you look absolutely amazing,” another added. “Like an aging bottle of wine, you are looking more amazing as you age.”

“Georgeous,” a third simply wrote. While another added, “Looking like a million dollars, Sam.”
These snaps of Sam Armytage caused quite a stir. (Credit: Instagram/sam_armytage)
The former Sunrise star beamed in the social media snaps, and it seems the overwhelmingly positive reaction didn’t go unnoticed. She responded with love heart emojis to several of the complimentary comments online.

Certainly, Sam made no secret of the fact that she likes to be complimented in an October interview on The Chrissie Swan Show.

“Are you tired of people talking about your body as I am?” Chrissie asked Sam on the podcast.

“Look, no, I’m not sick. I mean, give me compliments,” Sam responded. “Come on! I’m never going to reject a compliment.

“You know, I am at a really nice time in my life. I’m feeling really, most importantly, strong and healthy and happy.”

So what’s the secret behind Sam’s transformation, which comes just a year after she announced her split from husband Richard Lavender?
Sam with former husband Richard Lavender in 2020. (Credit: Getty)
According to the star, a hip replacement sparked by a childhood spent skiing had a lot to do with it.

“So in the lead up to that, the last couple of years, I haven’t been that active because I had been in a lot of pain, so I had a major operation last year, and from that, I sort of woke up out of that, literally feeling a bit renewed and refreshed, and not in chronic pain,” Sam told Chrissie.

“And I’ve been doing lots of yoga ever since, because when you have a joint replaced, you don’t want to have the other joints replaced.

“We all get to this age where things start to change and creak,” she added.

“So I’ve just been working on fitness and health. So look, the compliments are lovely. Keep them coming. But you know, I feel good, and that’s the most important thing, when you feel good, and then you look good, so it’s secondary.”

A quick peek at Sam’s Instagram profile proves just how good the 49-year-old is feeling.
Sam has been rocking some super chic looks. (Credit: Getty)
During the airing of The Golden Bachelor, on which she was host, the star was snapped in a series of increasingly chic outfits.

A tuxedo she wore even garnered a 588/10 score from the infamous Fashion Critical social media account, to which Sam responded with her own post.

“Day made 💥 no time for humility, had to put this on the grid,” she wrote.
This tuxedo was a hit with Fashion Critical. (Credit: Instagram/sam_armytage)
In an October interview with the Something to Talk About podcast, Sam candidly revealed that she felt 2025 marked a new chapter after her marriage breakdown and the death of her beloved dog, Banjo.

“Last year was a big year,” Sam told host Sarrah Le Marquand. “There was a lot of change and a lot of grief.

“[Banjo] was my baby. Then I had a total hip replacement and [I] literally had to learn to walk again.

“I left my marriage, renovated a house from my hospital bed, changed TV networks, changed jobs,” the star added, referring to her move from Channel Seven to Channel Nine.

“But I moved into 2025 in such a positive way. I feel this is my act two. I get another go here.”