Samantha Armytage looks downcast and steps out without her wedding ring as she is seen for the first time since her shock split from husband Richard Lavender
Samantha Armytage makes her first appearance since her shock divorce from husband Richard Lavender was revealed.
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed on Thursday that the TV presenter, 48, and her equestrian husband, 61, had gone their separate ways.
On Sunday, Samantha looked dejected as she went shopping in Surry Hills without her wedding ring.
The upcoming Golden Bachelor host kept a low profile with dark sunglasses as she returned to her car.
The TV presenter dressed casually for the outing in white trousers and a white and green striped T-shirt as she looked at her phone.
She paired her look with a brown leather handbag and matching leather sandals.
Samantha Armytage (pictured) has been seen for the first time since her shock divorce from husband Richard Lavender was revealed
On Sunday, Samantha looked dejected as she went shopping in Surry Hills without her wedding ring
Sam and Richard’s divorce was meant 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 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 late Thursday night.
‘I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I will make no further comment.”
Although the news has just become public, Samantha’s TV host friends are believed to have been comforting the star behind the scenes for some time now.
Samantha is no longer followed on Instagram by Richard’s two daughters, Sascha and Grace, although the former couple still follow each other.
Samantha started dating Richard in April 2019, and they announced their engagement in June 2020, before tying the knot six months later at his estate in rural NSW.
In a wedding photo, Samantha was seen holding hands with her new husband as they strolled through his Southern Highlands estate on New Year’s Eve, shortly after saying ‘I do’.
She captioned the heartwarming photo, which was taken after their wedding ceremony but before their reception, “11:58am on Thursday. How lucky are we?’
The upcoming Golden Bachelor host kept a low profile with dark sunglasses as she returned to her car
The TV presenter dressed casually for the outing in white trousers and a white and green striped T-shirt as she looked at her phone
Daily Mail Australia broke the news late last week that Sam had split from businessman husband Richard. Although the news has just become public, the friends of Samantha, the TV presenter, have been comforting the star behind the scenes for some time.
Samantha started dating Richard in April 2019, and they announced their engagement in June 2020, before tying the knot six months later at his estate in rural NSW.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only a small number of guests attended the intimate ceremony, with Richard’s daughters believed to have been present.
Samantha also posted a photo from later in the evening, showing the couple cuddling alongside the words: “HNY from the Lav’s.”
Amid her failed marriage, Samantha has also undergone a huge career change after stepping down from Channel Seven after 21 years at the network.
She has moved to rival network Nine and has been signed on to host brand new reality dating show The Golden Bachelor.
The Golden Bachelor is a spin-off of the series The Bachelor, but differs in that the participants in the reality dating show are singles in their 50s and 60s.
Her new role at Nine will also see her become a ‘fill-in’ presenter on Today, while regular presenters Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo go on leave this summer.
Samantha, once presenter of Seven’s rival breakfast show Sunrise, will co-host alongside Weekend Today star Clint Stanaway.
For a week and a half, the journalist ‘wakes up with Today’, where she can put her eight years of anchor experience at Sunrise from 2013 to 2021 to good use in the rival hotseat.