Samantha Armytage has spoken out for the first time about speculation she could replace Sarah Abo on the Today Show – and revealed what the pair said to each other when they met privately days earlier.

Samantha Armytage has spoken out for the first time about rumours she’s being lined up to replace Sarah Abo on Channel Nine’s Today Show, revealing the pair recently caught up and are “fine”.

The 49-year-old media personality joined 2GB’s The Ben Fordham Show on Thursday morning to address the headlines and clear the air.

“Now look, there’s been a lot of publicity about you this week and about whether you’re going to be hosting the Today Show next year on Channel Nine,” Fordham began.

Samantha Armytage attends the Nine 2026 Upfronts at Carriageworks on October 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Rajdeep Kar/Getty Images

“Have you thought about co-hosting a radio show instead?”

Armytage laughed before replying, “Ah, no, I’ve never thought about co-hosting a radio show, is there something coming up?”

When asked if she was behind the headlines, Fordham pressed, “Do you generate all this publicity?”

“I do not,” she shot back.

“Ben, you know how this game works. These stories get planted, leaks.”

Fordham then pointed out, “I feel sorry for Sarah Abo, who’s the host of the Today Show.”

 

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Armytage responded swiftly: “Look, I think Sarah’s wonderful. I saw her at the Nine Upfronts the other night, and we gave each other a hug and I said, ‘Are you okay?’ and she’s good. Sarah and Karl are fantastic.”

She added: ‘You know how it goes, people talk. But I am very happy in prime time- Golden Bachelor is where it’s at for me. I’m quite content with my little lot in life, thank you.”

Speculation about Armytage joining the Today team kicked off earlier in the week after The Australian’s Media Diary reported Nine was considering pairing her with Karl Stefanovic to boost its second-place breakfast ratings.

The chatter comes as Abo renegotiates her contract, which is due to expire at the end of the year.

She is said to be seeking a significant pay rise from her reported $800,000 salary, a figure around $2 million less than Stefanovic’s, despite working the same hours.

Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo attends the ward 4 ward event at woolloomooloo wharf. Picture Thomas Lisson

Armytage, who co-hosted Sunrise alongside David “Kochie” Koch from 2013 to 2021, is no stranger to the competitive breakfast TV world.

According to The Australian, Nine’s content boss Michael Healy has long seen Armytage and Stefanovic as his “dream” pairing to rival Seven’s dominance.

At the Nine Upfronts 2026 event in Sydney on Wednesday night, Abo, 39, and Stefanovic, 51, presented a united front, arriving together. 

Stefanovic later posted a selfie of the Today team to Instagram, captioned, “A team.”

In the picture, Abo, dressed in hot pink, stood smiling at the centre of the group, seemingly unbothered by the speculation.

Karl Stefanovic shared a selfie of the Today team on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

But behind the scenes, sources claim Abo has been “absolutely gutted” by reports suggesting management may want Armytage to replace her.

“If it is true that management have been the driving force behind getting Sam Armytage to replace her, then she feels all her hard work to make this job work has gone down the drain – it’s like the worst type of betrayal,” an insider told Woman’s Day.

Elsewhere in her chat with Fordham, Armytage opened up about her role on The Golden Bachelor and her recent split from husband Richard Lavender.

“I think no one goes into a marriage expecting to get divorced… You never know how life’s going to turn out,” she said.

When Fordham jokingly offered to play matchmaker, she politely declined: “No thanks.”