Samantha Armytage experienced an awkward on-air moment during her first day back hosting Australia's "Today" show on Monday, when her phone alarm sounded live during the broadcast. The veteran presenter, 49, had returned to Nine's flagship breakfast program alongside Michael Willesee Jr., marking her first appearance on the show since filling in over the Christmas break.
The show commenced with news bulletins before transitioning to the panel, where Armytage was seen quickly silencing her phone. "Good morning! Happy Monday. It's all happening - my alarm just went off on my phone because this is the time I normally get up," she explained, laughing.
Willesee Jr. lightheartedly remarked, "Her alarm, right on the start time of the show. Just to remind Sam that she had to be on the show this morning."
Armytage, who previously hosted Seven's "Sunrise" for eight years, had the previous night posted an Instagram Story urging viewers to tune into "Today." "Tomorrow morning, I'm gonna be sliding into that Today show co-hosting chair for a fill-in," she said in the video. "I hope, if you can, you might turn your telly on and have a look, because the thing about doing this thing, if no-one's watching, it really is a complete waste of makeup... so I hope we see you in the morning."
The "Today" show has faced declining viewership since Karl Stefanovic's departure last month, consistently ranking second to Seven's "Sunrise." Last month, "Sunrise" reported 456,000 national viewers, more than double "Today's" 226,000.
Hosting Changes
In separate developments, Brisbane news presenter Joel Dry was reportedly removed from a planned week-long hosting stint with Armytage at the last minute. According to The Australian, Dry was scheduled to co-host the program as a potential on-air audition for the vacant full-time role. He was reportedly told late last week that he was no longer needed to travel to Sydney, despite being listed on the show's internal running order as late as Wednesday night.
Multiple sources suggested Dry's removal was due to concerns raised by Armytage about working with him, with Nine executives reportedly acting on her feedback. Reports indicated that Dry had been confident about his prospects of replacing Stefanovic and had begun discussing a potential salary package, reportedly around $500,000 annually.
Following Dry's reported withdrawal, Willesee Jr. was asked to extend his hosting duties on "Today" for another week alongside Armytage. Willesee Jr. had initially been scheduled for a two-week stint, which was then shortened to one week before Dry was expected to take over. However, due to the last-minute change, Willesee Jr. continued in the role.
Nine's "Today" show currently lacks a permanent co-host following Stefanovic's exit and co-presenter Sarah Abo's maternity leave.