Samantha Armytage and her husband of four years Richard Lavender separated in late 2024.
“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,” Samantha confirmed to The Telegraph.
“I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I won’t be making any further comment.”
Now, 10 months later, The Golden Bachelor host has broken her silence.
“We gave it a go. It didn’t work out, so we moved on,” she told Stellar Magazine. “I don’t think anybody leaves a marriage without thinking it through quite deeply. You don’t just decide one day and leave the next.”
Samantha and Richard, an equestrian businessman, first met in 2019 at a mutual friend’s birthday party.
“I remember seeing her and I got this really nice feeling. I thought, that’s my girl,” Richard said of first meeting Samantha on Sunrise in 2020.
After dating for several months, Samantha and Richard got engaged in June 2020.
The couple then tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on December 31, 2020.
Despite the heartbreak, Samantha has been keeping busy with her career. From hosting Farmer Wants A Wife, before announcing that she would be departing Channel Seven after 21 years in August 2024.
“It’s a little sad and it’s bittersweet, but the time has come. I leave with lots of goodwill in my heart and excitement about the future,” Samantha said at the time.
“This is not the end. It’s just the end of this chapter.”
Sam’s next chapter was revealed in late October when it was confirmed that she’d signed with Channel 9 and would host the Australian version of The Golden Bachelor in 2025.
