In early December, Samantha Armytage, 48, announced that she and her husband of four years, Richard Lavender, 65, had split.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the pair have been separated for months.
Sam Armytage and Richard had been living at a rural property in the Southern Highlands in New South Wales, however the TV host has confirmed she has moved back to Sydney’s Eastern suburbs.
“Yes, Richard and I have separated. All breakups are hard, but it’s somewhat lessened by the fact it’s amicable and we wish the best for each other,” she told the publication.
“I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I won’t be making any further comment.”
Samantha shocked fans when she announced the news just days before what would have been their fourth wedding anniversary, but her actions in the lead-up were a giveaway…
STEPDAUGHTERS UNFOLLOWED HER
A source says Richard’s adult daughters Grace and Sasha, both in their 20s – who he shares with his ex-wife Kate Lavender – never really grew close with the former Sunrise host.
And this was seemingly confirmed when eagle-eyed fans noticed the pair no longer follow their one-time stepmother on social media.
Sam previously claimed the pair “welcomed me with open arms”, Meanwhile, Sam and Richard are still following each other, despite their break-up.
RETURN TO TV
“I don’t think I am done with TV,” Sam said back in 2021. “But it has to be the right time.”
And the star’s decision to jump ship from Seven to Nine this year to host The Golden Bachelor in 2025 appeared to be another sign that all was not fine on the farm.
“As soon as Sam announced she was making a TV comeback, we all started suspecting something had happened,” an insider told Yahoo Lifestyle.
BACK ON THE SYDNEY SOCIAL SCENE
Sam and Richard haven’t been snapped together since September, but she has been regularly pictured at industry events since returning to Sydney.
“She wasn’t ready to give everything up, which caused tensions as Rich is notoriously private,” a source told Yahoo Lifestyle.
BUYING HER OWN PROPERTIES
Sam made sure she kept her independence. After moving out of Richard’s 40-hectare property in the NSW Southern Highlands, she set up home in an apartment in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. In May, she bought a $1.3 million renovation project in Moss Vale, NSW.
She also owns a $3.2 million beachfront property in Hyams Beach on the NSW South Coast, which she’s owned since 2018 and was recently trying to sell.
SOLO AFTER SURGERY
When Sam underwent hip replacement surgery in July after suffering from severe osteoarthritis, Richard was nowhere to be seen – and Sam made no mention of him when posting about her recovery.
“Huge thanks to the wonderful nurses (at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney) for the care, a lil’ bit of Endone … heaps of rehab and all my beautiful friends for my flower-filled room!” she wrote on Instagram.
SAM DIDN’T FIT IN THE RURAL LIFE
“[Farming] is in my blood. I’m back to where I began. I knew I wanted to be back in the country,” Sam, who grew up on a sheep property near Adaminaby, NSW, said shortly after quitting the big smoke for Richard’s property in 2020.
But a source says the reality of rural life wasn’t exactly what Sam hoped. According to reports, while the TV star tried, she never quite felt at home in the country community and is glad to be back in her city social circle.
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