The verdict is in.
Today viewers are more than happy to wake up with Samantha Armytage as she stands in for Sarah Abo during the holiday break.
“Sam is great! I’m watching Today again now,” one fan wrote online. Another said they were really enjoying Dan Anstey, who is keeping Karl Stefanovic’s seat warm until he returns.
While the more seasoned Karl, 50, doesn’t pay any attention to the snarky comments, Sarah is slightly wary of Sam. And New Idea can exclusively reveal she has good reason to be.
“Sam has made it very clear to Channel Nine bosses that she wants the full-time hosting role on Today if Sarah opts to leave,” our insider confirms. They add, bluntly: “Sam has all the top dogs at Nine wrapped around her little finger, thanks to her current holiday performance.”
The accomplished Sarah, 39, is extremely popular at with Nine and has developed great chemistry with Karl since she joined Today in 2023. However, he has an even better rapport with Sam, given their friendship spans decades.
“They are very good mates who love to banter,” our source explains.
“Karl reached out to Sam when her marriage ended recently because he knows how it feels to go through a very public divorce. Sam is also more ballsy and cheeky than Sarah – which Karl finds appealing.”
Sam left Channel Seven in October and signed with Nine, where she was named as the host of The Golden Bachelor. However, she was immediately tapped to also fill in for Sarah, in the hope she’ll lure breakfast TV viewers over from her former show, Sunrise.
“Executives at Nine have to be considering their options about deploying Sam on Today because the ratings war with Sunrise is fiercer than ever,” our source says.
“Where it will get really interesting is if Karl thinks Sam is the better option for permanent co-host, especially if it means landing a blow on Sunrise.”
There is also talk within Nine that management has put together a top-secret focus group, specifically aimed at getting viewer feedback on Sam, 48.
“She’s making it clear that she sees her summer stint on Today as ‘the most important audition of her career’,” says the source.
But don’t expect Karl to throw Sarah under the bus in favour of Sam anytime soon, our source stresses.
“Karl knows what Sam could bring to Today – but he’s also incredibly loyal,” adds the source.
“He knows he can rely on Sarah 100 percent. He and Sam are friends, yes, but that professional trust isn’t entirely there yet.
“If push came to shove, Karl would almost certainly back Sarah as his full-time TV wingwoman over Sam – for now.”
The only reason Sarah would voluntarily opt to quit Today in the next year or two would be so she could return to Melbourne full-time, where her husband Cyrus Moran
is based. She’s currently there now while on leave.
“Sarah made it clear to friends that she won’t be watching Today while Sam is on … she’s switched off completely during her break,” our insider says.
“But don’t underestimate Sarah – she doesn’t give up on anything easily, and that includes her job.”
