Samantha Armytage has made a huge wedding announcement after she was spotted with a new “wingman” following her split from her husband.
The former Sunrise host, 48, married Richard Lavender at a private ceremony on his Highlands property on New Year’s Eve 2020, before splitting from the equestrian businessman in December 2024.
The TV host has gone on to release thinly-veiled clues about her love life, including cryptically taking to social media in April to share the quote: “Don’t be afraid to start over again; you may like your new story better”, suggesting she’s ready to move to move on with a new man.
But Armytage really set tongues wagging when she was spotted arm in arm with fashion designer Jonathan Ward in April, describing him as her “wingman”.
Now there’s a wedding – just not hers.
Armytage on Monday took to Instagram to share her younger brother Charlie had married his fiancée Alexandra, in a lavish ceremony.
A photo of the newlyweds shared by Armytage showed the couple in their wedding attire walking hand in hand down a picturesque country path.
The groom wore a dark suit and a striped black and white tie, which he paired with a floral decoration on his jacket, while the bride looked stunning in an off-the-shoulder cream gown and periwinkle bow shoes.
“Congratulations to my brother Charlie, & Alex…married! Such a happy day/couple. Isn’t love fabulous?!” Armytage wrote in the caption.
Commentators congratulated the husband and wife and praised their love and “simple elegance”.
Ward invited Armytage to accompany him to the 2025 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival at Royal Randwick in April.
The pair stood arm in arm beside each other for a photo, with Armytage donning a silk cream angle-length skirt, which she matched with a white shirt, polka dot tie, and black fascinator.
Jonathan, who has been in the fashion industry for more than three decades, complimented her look with a classy beige jacket and waistcoat.
Despite the appearance, it appears the pair are simply friends and have enjoyed a close association since before Armyatge’s split from Lavender.
Ward was spotted having lunch with the then-married couple at China Doll restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Woolloomooloo in 2021.
Pictures obtained by the Daily Mail at the time showed the trio laughing and joking between mouthfuls of San Choy Bow.
After defecting to Channel 9, Armytage has been busy fronting her latest project, hosting The Bachelor franchise spinoff The Golden Bachelor.
As for her dating life, she offered a rare personal insight in May.
Armytage announced her split from Lavender, 61, in December, just weeks before their fourth wedding anniversary. Picture: Supplied.
“My love life is pretty quiet, not much to write home about there, but the show’s love life is fantastic, she told The Daily Telegraph’s Confidential.
“I am living vicariously through my show at the moment.”
Armytage announced her split from Lavender, 61, in December, just weeks before their fourth wedding anniversary.
“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 said in a statement to the same newspaper.
“I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I won’t be making any further comment.”
The split shocked some industry insiders, especially after Armytage herself told Woman’s Day that she quit her plum role hosting Sunrise to live at Lavender’s 40-hectare estate in NSW’s Southern Highlands.
It is understood Armytage has since decamped back to Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
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“There’s definitely someone making her happy.”
While Samantha Armytage continues to be linked to The Golden Bachelor star Barry “Bear” Myrden, insiders reveal the former Sunrise host is quietly amused – because rumours about Bear are the perfect distraction from her real love life.
According to close friends, the 49-year-old presenter has been deliberately keeping quiet as the romance rumours swirl, knowing full well that the attention on Bear keeps the spotlight away from her new, more private relationship.
(Credit: Getty)
Sources close to the TV personality hint that Sam’s heart already belongs to someone else entirely – a mystery man she’s quietly been seeing in recent months.
“There’s definitely someone making her happy,” one insider teases. “But she’s keeping it very quiet – and the Bear rumours are the perfect smokescreen.”
“Sam’s been in this business long enough to know how to play the game,” another source told Daily Mail Australia. “She’s happy to let people think whatever they want about her and Bear – it keeps everyone off the scent of what’s actually happening in her life.”
Speculation about an on-set spark between Sam and Bear has followed the pair throughout the filming of The Golden Bachelor, where fans have noted their undeniable chemistry. Whether that connection is genuine or simply good TV remains to be seen – but Sam isn’t doing much to quell the rumours.
“She’s having the time of her life right now,” says a source. “If people want to focus on Bear, she’s fine with that. It’s the perfect cover.”
Bear himself hasn’t helped cool the speculation either, recently joking that he “100 per cent would have given Sam a rose” if she’d been a contestant. Yet friends insist the TV bachelor only sees Sam as a close friend, describing their relationship as one built on mutual respect.
Sam and her ex-husband, Richard. (Credit: Getty)
The timing of all this intrigue comes less than a year after Sam confirmed her split from husband Richard Lavender, the equestrian businessman she married on New Year’s Eve in 2020. The pair, who first started dating in 2019, quietly went their separate ways just before what would have been their fourth wedding anniversary.
“Richard and I have separated,” Sam said in a statement at the time. “All breakups are hard, but it’s somewhat lessened by the fact it’s amicable and we wish the best for each other.”
Since the separation, Sam has kept her tone upbeat and optimistic. During an appearance on The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show, she admitted she’s open to finding love again.
“Of course I’ll find love again,” she said. “I’m keeping my options open. Don’t worry about me – I’m having fun as always.”
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