In a revealing new interview, Samantha Armytage discusses the end of her marriage and sets the record straight about her relationship status.

Former Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage has broken her silence over the end of her four-year marriage and the “enormous grief” she has endured in the aftermath.

In a new interview with the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About, the 49-year-old speaks for the first time about her divorce from Richard Lavender – whom she wed in 2021 – and the personal upheaval she faced last year.

“What I’ll say for my marriage [is] we gave it a go. It didn’t work out, so we moved on,” Armytage told podcast host, Sarrah Le Marquand, in the exclusive interview.

“Last year was a big year,” Amystage said. “There was a lot of change and a lot of grief,” she said, referring to the death of her beloved dog, Banjo.
“He was my baby. Then I had a total hip replacement and [I] literally had to learn to walk again,” Armytage told Le Marquand.

‘I feel this is my act two!’ Samantha Armytage has broken her silence on the end of her four-year marriage. Picture: Getty Images
“I left my marriage, renovated a house from my hospital bed, changed TV networks, changed jobs,” she said, referring to her defection from long-time employer Seven to Nine.

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

Armytage – who is on the cover of today’s Stellar – is fronting a new reality dating show The Golden Bachelor, and is rediscovering herself now she is single again, including the public interest in her dating life.

In August, she was the subject of romantic speculation after walking the red carpet with The Golden Bachelor star Barry “Bear” Myrden at the Logies.

She is on the cover of today’s Stellar. Picture: Stellar

Samantha Armytage at her Stellar cover shoot. Picture: Steven Chee for Stellar
But Armytage has denied any romantic involvement with Myrden. Sitting down with Le Marquand, she added: “As soon as I signed up to do this show, I thought, ‘Here we go.’ But, no. I promise you, I have not been dating the Golden Bachelor.”

Armytage – who fronted Sunrise on Seven from 2013 to 2021 – also addressed her brief stint co-hosting the Today show during last year’s summer break, filling in for Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo.

With The Golden Bachelor Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden at the Logies. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Samantha Armytage, right, and now ex-husband Richard Lavender pictured in 2022. Picture: Richard Dobson
“It was a little weird. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Armytage told Something To Talk About.

“The alarm didn’t bother me, because it was only a few weeks. It was a great experience. I think the network considered me a safe pair of hands that I knew what I was doing with a show like that.”