Samantha Armytage says her new show The Golden Bachelor is about finding ‘real love’ in apparent swipe at Seven after Farmer Wants A Wife came under fire for being ‘staged’

Samantha Armytage has seemingly taken a thinly veiled swipe at her ex-employers Seven when she made a comment about her new hosting job on The Golden Bachelor.

The TV star, 48, was unveiled as the new host of the Aussie Bachelor spin-off series at Nine’s Upfronts event on Thursday after leaving Channel Seven in August.

Speak with 9Entertainment Speaking about her new role, Samantha said the show was about finding ‘real love’ in an apparent swipe on her previous show Farmer Wants A Wife.

“You’re looking for some romance and you’re looking for real love,” she said in a seemingly pointed comment. “This is about finding real love.”

“I’m so excited about this show, it’s been huge in America and I have a feeling it’s going to be huge in Australia too.”

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.

Samantha’s comments could be seen as a criticism of her former Seven show Farmer Wants a Wife, after viewers criticized the show’s 2024 season for being ‘staged’.

When the 2024 series aired on social media, fans of the dating show criticized the producers, claiming they were “trying to make the show like MAFS.”

“I think the new producer is trying to make the show like MAFS,” one social media user wrote.

“They can edit it any way they want and make both the men and women into something other than what they are. All the kissing and stuff this year and the sexual innuendo seems more like MAFS than in previous seasons.”

“It will be the end of the show if they keep pushing for a new MAFS,” another user agreed.

“I agree with all of these statements, especially after watching the early seasons when it was REALLY a great show and it was about farmers finding love, not about trying to imitate MAFS,” another commented.

The 2024 series was perhaps the most dramatic, with fan favorite farmer Bert walking away solo after deciding he wasn’t ready for a relationship.

However, it was later claimed that he left the series because of all the “drama he was forced into on the show.”

“He was done being a puppet for the producers on his farm who kept pushing him and the ladies to create drama,” an insider told Yahoo Lifestyle.

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

And her new TV appearance on The Golden Bachelor was finally revealed at Nine’s Upfronts, where the network’s 2025 programming slate 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’re thrilled to welcome Samantha Armytage to Nine as the new host for 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. .

‘We’d like to hear from you or anyone else who would like to nominate someone they know to take part in the show. We want to celebrate love at any age and show that when it comes to finding love and romance, age is just a number,” she added.

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.

Samantha’s involvement in the reality TV show comes after weeks of speculation that she was joining the Bachelor franchise and had signed a deal with Nine.

An insider described Samantha’s new hosting job as a “smart move” and said she was a “great fit” for the concept after “reviving” Seven’s dating show FWAW.

Her new Nine contract is rumored to be worth a “significant sum” according to sources, but exact figures have not been released.

The report put an end to rumors that former Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg would return to the franchise.

Samantha’s huge career move is the ultimate swipe at her former workplace Seven, as she has moved to their rival network.

Stepping out at Upfronts, Samantha wore her own revenge dress in a red high-neck midi dress with a keyhole cutout at the neckline.

Samantha gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of metallic silver heels and packed her essentials into a matching handbag.

The TV favorite teamed her elegant ensemble with a pair of gold hoop earrings and opted for a glamorous make-up palette.

The Australian household name announced her departure from Seven in August after 21 years with the network.

Samantha became the face of hit dating show Farmer Wants A Wife last year after appearing as a guest presenter for the first time alongside former host Natalie Gruzlewski.

But she shocked fans of the franchise in August by announcing she would be quitting Seven after 21 years.

Describing the departure as ‘sad and bittersweet’, Sam told The Daily Telegraph she felt her time had come to an end and was excited about her future.

‘I love instinct. I listen to my instincts.

‘I know when the time comes. “I’m proud of the fact that I stand behind myself enough to say, ‘I’ve done what I can do here’ and I’ll move on,” she said.

‘This is not the end. It’s just the end of this chapter.’