Samantha Armytage to Co-Host Today Show During Christmas Break
Samantha Armytage has been confirmed as a guest host for the Channel Nine breakfast show, Today, during the Christmas break. The 49-year-old television veteran will be joining Nova radio host Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli in co-hosting the program during the festive season.
The holiday period will see a rotation of hosts, with Today Extra’s David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys taking the lead at the start of the break. Following them, Samantha and Wippa will take over in mid-December. From the beginning of January, Alison Piotrowski, Dr Nick Coatsworth, Joel Dry, and Jayne Azzopardi will assume the main hosting roles. Sarah Abo and her co-host Karl Stefanovic are set to return to the Today show desk on January 19.
This development comes after Samantha recently addressed rumors that she is set to replace Sarah Abo and join Karl Stefanovic on the Today show. 
During an appearance on 2GB with Ben Fordham last month, Samantha was asked about the growing speculation surrounding her potential return to breakfast TV. She began by acknowledging the nature of such stories, saying, “Ben, you know how this game works — these stories get planted, leaked.” She then revealed that she had met Sarah and offered her support following the headlines.
“Sarah’s wonderful… I saw her at Upfronts — at Nine Upfronts — the other night. We gave each other a hug and I said, ‘Are you okay?’ She’s good. Sarah and Karl are fantastic,” Sam added regarding the current Today lineup.
A recent report suggested that Samantha was in secret discussions to replace Sarah and become Karl’s new co-host on the Today show. According to a Nine insider, some staff members were “terrified” of the former Sunrise star joining the breakfast show line-up, and that Sarah was upset about how the network handled the situation. 
According to a senior TV insider, there was an internal division at Nine, with some staff hopeful that Samantha would boost the breakfast show’s audience against Seven, while others feared she might be difficult to work with behind the scenes.
“There’s a big team split at Nine,” the source said. “Junior staff on Today are terrified to work for Sam because of her reputation for being a bit difficult at Sunrise. The more senior people get it. They think that she will bring in new audience… and Today needs it. But they’re also concerned that Sam and Karl will blow each other up with their egos.”
Key Questions Around Samantha Armytage’s Potential Move
- Is Channel Nine’s Sarah Abo facing a sensational Today show ousting as Samantha Armytage steps into the spotlight?
- Why is Samantha Armytage’s potential move to the Today show causing such a stir among Nine Network staff?
- How is Samantha Armytage sparking behind-the-scenes chaos at Channel Nine with her surprise Today show role?
- Will Samantha Armytage’s boisterous return to breakfast TV shake up Nine’s Today show dynamics?
- Could Channel Nine face a shake-up as Sam Armytage, the ‘prestige’ presenter, is rumored to replace Sarah Abo on Today?
