Samantha Armytage shocked fans when she and husband Richard Lavender split just weeks before their fourth anniversary, but insiders have claimed it was a long time coming.
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed on Thursday that the TV presenter, 48, and her equestrian businessman husband, 61, had gone their separate ways.
Now, some sources have revealed that the biggest sign that Armytage and her partner were breaking up was her Seven to Nine size, reported. Yahoo Lifestyle on Mondays.
“As soon as Sam announced he was leaving Seven for Nine and making a big return to TV, we all started to suspect something had happened,” the source said.
“Her main reason for leaving Sunrise initially was to be with him and establish herself away from the industry.”
Armytage began presenting the Seven Network breakfast television show in 2013 alongside former co-presenter David ‘Kochie’ Koch.
Samantha Armytage, 48 (right), shocked her fans when she and husband Richard Lavender, 61, (left) split just weeks before their fourth anniversary – but insiders have claimed it was a long time coming .
However, she sensationally left the show in 2021 and appeared to swap her bustling showbiz life for a quiet one with her husband Lavender in the countryside.
After appearing on Farmer Wants A Wife Australia for two seasons, Armytage jumped ship from Seven to Nine in October, landing gigs as fast as they were offered to him.
Armytage confirmed to Woman’s Day in 2021 that his relationship with Lavender was part of the reason he left Sunrise, saying he was enjoying his new life in the Southern Highlands.
‘(Farming) is in my blood. I’m back where I started. “This is kind of the second act of my life,” he said at the time.
‘I’m proud of myself for taking that leap into the completely unknown, because I didn’t know what would come after that.
“I was newly married, so I had Rich to help me and I knew I wanted to come back to the country, so I jumped off the cliff.”
Now, following their shocking split after almost four years of marriage, a source claimed that their split has been widely speculated for months in the television industry.
“Sam has been keeping the details pretty quiet, but the impression everyone gets is that she just wasn’t ready to retire and give it all up yet, which has probably caused tensions since Rich is notoriously private,” they said.
Sources have revealed that the biggest sign that Armytage and her partner were breaking up was her sheer size from Seven to Nine, Yahoo Lifestyle reported on Monday.
Armytage was seen for the first time on Sunday since her split from Lavender, looking dejected while running errands in Sunny Hills without her wedding ring.
The incoming Golden Bachelor host kept a low profile in dark sunglasses as she was seen returning to her car.
Armytage and Lavender’s split was planned to be leaked to a Sydney newspaper on Friday, but sources confirmed the news to Daily Mail Australia in advance.
‘Yes, Richard and I have separated. “All breakups are difficult, but they are alleviated a little by the fact that they are amicable and we wish each other the best,” Armytage told the media on Thursday night.
‘I appreciate you respecting our privacy. “I will not comment further.”
While the news has only just emerged publicly, Armytage’s TV presenting friends are understood to have been comforting the star behind the scenes for some time.
Lavender’s two daughters, Sascha and Grace, no longer follow Armytage on Instagram, although the former couple still follows each other.
Armytage began dating Lavender in April 2019 and they announced their engagement in June 2020, before tying the knot at their property in rural New South Wales six months later.
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed on Thursday that the TV presenter and her husband, an equestrian businessman, had gone their separate ways.
In one wedding photo, Armytage was seen holding hands with her new husband as they walked around their Southern Highlands estate on New Year’s Eve, shortly after saying “I do.”
She captioned the touching image, which was taken after the wedding ceremony but before the reception: ‘11.58am on a Thursday. How lucky are we?
The intimate ceremony only had a small number of guests due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Lavender’s daughters are believed to have attended.
Armytage also posted a photo from later that night, which showed the pair hugging alongside the words: ‘HNY from the Lav’s’.
Amid the breakdown of his marriage, Armytage also experienced a big career change after leaving Channel Seven after 21 years at the network.
She moved to rival network Nine and signed up to host new reality dating show The Golden Bachelor.
The Golden Bachelor is a spin-off of the series The Bachelor, but it differs in that the contestants of the reality dating show are singles between 50 and 60 years old.
In her new role at Nine, she will also become a ‘deputy’ presenter for Today, while regular presenters Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo will be on leave over the summer.
Armytage, who once hosted Seven’s rival breakfast show Sunrise, will co-host with Weekend Today star Clint Stanaway.
The journalist will ‘wake up with Today’ for a week and a half, drawing on her eight-year experience as a presenter on Sunrise from 2013 to 2021 on the rival bench.