Samantha Armytage announces new career move that has ‘healed her heart’ amid divorce and setback on upcoming series The Golden Bachelor

Samantha Armytage has been busy with new work commitments.

On Tuesday, the television host announced her latest venture with a sweet post on Instagram.

The 48-year-old cuddled up with an adorable Labrador as she revealed she has become an ambassador for Guide Dogs Australia.

‘I’m so excited/thrilled/proud to be the newest ambassador for Guide Dogs Australia. What a brilliant, genuine and trusted organization,” she wrote in her caption.

“I’ve always loved them and now I’m part of them. They do invaluable work to help blind and visually impaired people live fulfilled, safe and productive lives,” Sam said.

‘Over the coming weeks we will be looking for puppy raisers – we need safe and loving homes to care for our precious puppies until they are ready to go into training and then go to work as the most amazing seeing eye dogs.’

Sam then paid tribute to her own Labrador, Banjo, who tragically died in February last year.

“You all know how much I love Labradors. So this is a perfect job for me. I have attached here a few pictures of my sweet Banjo, who I miss every day.’

Sam then hinted at her split from husband Richard Lavender, after releasing her first Christmas single since the split.

“Cuddles with these puppies have healed my heart immensely. Bring on 2025,” she wrote.

Sam split from equestrian businessman Richard, 61, on the eve of their fourth wedding anniversary.

Samantha started dating Richard in April 2019, and she announced their engagement in June 2020.

The couple then married on New Year’s Eve that same year at his 40-acre estate in the picturesque Southern Highlands in NSW.

But last month, sources revealed their split exclusively to Ny Breaking Australia, with Samantha subsequently confirming they had ‘amicably’ gone their separate ways.

‘Yes, Richard and I have broken up. All breakups are difficult, but it is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it is amicable and we wish the best for each other,” Samantha told the media.

‘I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I will make no further comment.”

It comes after Sam’s upcoming Channel Nine dating series The Golden Bachelor suffered an unexpected setback during the open casting calls.

The upcoming series is based on a hit American show of the same name and features people over 60 looking for their second chance at love.

However, a Warner Bros casting manager has now revealed there is a problem with their casting search for older people looking for love.

“Many applicants don’t know how to fill out the application form or upload photos and videos,” the insider said. Yahoo lifestyle.

“Many don’t even have an iPhone or computer to do it themselves after hearing about the show on the news.”

The source explained that they had to make some changes to the casting process to increase their potential talent pool.

‘Registrations started slowly, but now we have encouraged people to nominate their grandparents. It has been collected,” they said.

They added that they had also reached out to retirement homes across the country to see if there were any seniors who would qualify for the very public opportunity to find love.

The Golden Bachelor offers people in their 50s and 60s the chance to find their second chance at love and will premiere on Nine sometime in 2025.

In November, it was reported that The Golden Bachelor was scouting for contestants in a very unusual way.

A talent scout for the Channel Nine show was spotted handing out business cards to visitors at Sydney’s Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Casting agent Ivanna Tang opted for the unusual method of recruiting racegoers for the upcoming spin-off show, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Producers are said to be busy behind the scenes casting their eligible Bachelor and hope to wrap up his starring role in the coming weeks.

Nine has secured the rights to The Golden Bachelor in Australia and Samantha has been signed on to host the reality dating show.

Samantha got involved in the casting and urged people to give their family members a ‘push’.

‘Farmer Wants A Wife’ presenter Samantha shocked fans in August when she resigned from Seven after 21 years, amid rumors about her next move.

Her new TV appearance on The Golden Bachelor was finally revealed at Nine’s Upfronts in November, where the network’s 2025 schedule was unveiled to invited guests.

“I think you’ll all love this. It’s love for the golden ages,” Samantha said in the video interview with 9Entertainment.

‘When I was called to participate in the show, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. The Golden Bachelor has been huge in America, and I have a feeling it will be huge in Australia too.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Samantha Armytage to Nine as the new host of our quest for love, the Golden Bachelor, where everyone deserves a second chance at love,” added Nine’s Chief Marketing Officer Liana Dubois.

Warner Bros Australia first sparked speculation about a local version of the show in November 2023 when they dropped a trap for “fun, active and outgoing male seniors aged 60 or over who are divorced/widowed” to take part in a new dating series. .

The first US version of The Golden Bachelor starred father-of-two and widower Gerry Turner, 72, with a Golden Bachelorette version subsequently launching with widow Joan Vassos, 61, looking for love.

The US version of the show has been hugely successful, with a finale attracting 6.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched final episode of the US Bachelor series since 2021.