‘He’s a mate of mine’: Sam Armytage admits she feels ‘a great deal of empathy’ for breakfast show rival Karl Stefanovic as Channel Seven’s Sunrise whips Today show in the ratings
Sam Armytage is on top of the world with Sunrise, on which she is a host, with eth program becoming a ratings winner in 2018.
But although she’s whipping her former colleague Karl Stefanovic, whose Today show is ailing in the competing breakfast slot, the 42-year-old feels for her TV rival.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Sam says: ‘Karl is a mate of mine. We go way back. We were on the road, reporting together’.
‘He’s a mate of mine’: Sam Armytage admits she feels ‘a great deal of empathy’ for breakfast show rival Karl Stefanovic as Channel Seven’s Sunrise whips Today show in the ratings
She added that she feels ‘a great deal of empathy’ for Karl since his personal life became the subject of intense scrutiny.
However she does concede that she is pleased with the success of Sunrise, stating: ‘Look, it’s a competitive business and we don’t get up at three o’clock in the morning to come second’.
Sam credits the chemistry between herself and her Sunrise co-stars, including Natalie Barr, David Koch, Edwina Bartholomew and Sam Mac, for the upsurge in the program’s ratings.
Sam says she is pleased with the success of Sunrise, stating: ‘Look, it’s a competitive business and we don’t get up at three o’clock in the morning to come second’. Pictured with Sunrise co-host David Koch
Doing well! Sam credits the chemistry between herself and her Sunrise co-stars, including Natalie Barr, Edwina Bartholomew and Sam Mac, for the upsurge in ratings. Pictured: The Sunrise team
She tells the paper: ‘I mean, people don’t want to tune in and see people having a fight. That’s not what you want to see in the morning’.
The comments come after it was revealed that Sunrise outperformed rival breakfast program Today in 2018 and the network has locked down the same line up for 2019.
The Today show has meanwhile nosedived in the ratings, plunging to a 12-year low this year.
Out of favour: The comments come after it was revealed that Sunrise outperformed rival breakfast program Today in 2018. Pictured: Karl Stefanovic (left) on the Today show
Amid a blaze of negative headlines, Karl’s divorce, his new wife and his attitude towards colleagues has tarnished his public image.
As a result, Karl and his brother Peter Stefanovic are facing career woes, according to a new report.
The pair are both in danger of losing their hosting roles at the Today Show, according to news.com.au.
With ailing ratings at the breakfast show monolith and the Uber-gate scandal placing the brothers in poor steed at the network, there are rumblings that both men could be removed from their roles in 2019.
Strife: Amid a blaze of negative headlines, Karl’s divorce, his new wife and his attitude towards colleagues has tarnished his public image
‘Peter Stefanovic’s days as host of Weekend Today are numbered and Brenton Ragless is the frontrunner to replace him’ the publication claimed recently.
The move would be a precursor to also removing Karl from the weekday Today show, the report continues.
Channel Nine has repeatedly denied claims that Karl or Peter Stefanovic are being removed from their roles.
Issues? As a result, Karl and his brother Peter Stefanovic are facing career woes, according to a new report