Will the former Sunrise host return to breakfast TV as the new face of Today?

Sam Armytage has said she has no interest in returning to breakfast television as rumours swirl she is in ‘secret talks’ to join Today with Karl Stefanovic. Picture: Instagram/sam_armytage

Rumours have been swirling this week about Samantha Armytage’s future on Channel 9 and whether she will be making a permanent return to breakfast TV. Reports emerged that she would be joining Today alongside Karl Stefanovic in 2026, right as she prepares to take her new role as host of The Golden Bachelor.

The veteran host has plenty of experience, hosting Channel 7’s Sunrise from 2013 to 2021 and filling in for Sarah Abo on Today in December. According to The Australian, Channel 9 is currently in “secret talks” to replace Sarah with Samantha in an effort to finally take the breakfast TV crown.

Meanwhile, Sarah was said to still be “in the throes of renegotiating her own contract extension” after requesting a pay rise.

On Wednesday, Yahoo Lifestyle attended Nine’s annual ‘Upfront’ event, where the television network reveals its plans for the upcoming year’s programming.

This typically could be the platform a network uses to make such a big announcement; however, there was no such mention of Samantha’s triumphant return to breakfast.

Instead, the network promoted her hosting role on the upcoming reality show, which premieres on Monday, October 20.

Samantha recently told Yahoo Lifestyle the series would tap into the drama of the previous seasons and feature some “really powerful” moments with the “really accomplished, really beautiful” contestants.

“Bring the drama. Who doesn’t want the drama?”

Interestingly, a poll of more than 2,800 Yahoo Lifestyle readers declared Sarah Abo as Karl’s preferred co-host, with Samantha taking just 28 per cent of the votes.

Samantha will host Channel 9’s brand new reality show, The Golden Bachelor. Photo: Channel 9

Would Samantha Armytage return to breakfast TV?

Samantha recently addressed the rumours of a return to breakfast TV during an appearance on the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About, admitting that it isn’t something she would be interested in doing.

“I am completely happy to just stay in prime time now with the alarms going off at reasonable hours like 6am,” she said.

“I mean, you know, getting up for all those years, it really affects your social life very badly, and it’s also very hard on the body. So I don’t necessarily miss that, but breakfast TV is really fun.”

‘A little weird’

Elsewhere in the interview, Samantha confessed it was “a little weird” hosting Today over the summer break alongside weather presenter Dan Anstey, but said it was “a great experience”.

“Obviously, studios are different, people are different, the way that Sunrise and the Today show write their scripts, all the little details that you become used to when you host a show every day,” she said.

“It was fun. The alarm did not bother me because it was only [for] a few weeks, so that’s easy. It’s when it’s every day that it gets you.”

The veteran host said she had “so much fun” leading Sunrise for more than eight years, noting it was “very flattering” that Channel 9 trusted her to fill in on Today.