Samantha Armytage announced last year that she and Richard had split up right before their fourth wedding anniversary.

Samantha Armytage has seemingly taken a dig at her ex-husband Richard Lavender in a new interview. Photo: Listnr and Instgram/sam_armytage

Samantha Armytage has taken a subtle jab at her ex-husband in a new interview. The former Sunrise presenter split from Richard Lavender after four years of marriage in 2024.

Sam’s new role as host of The Golden Bachelor has put her at the centre of a whole new love story. But, this week she made a candid admission about her romantic prospects and how she would be “doing it a bit differently”.

“I will be very good at choosing this time,” Sam told Jessica Rowe on her Big Talk Show podcast.

“Discernment is my new middle name.

“I’m getting better as I get older at being discerning.”

Sam, who has described herself as being in “act two” of her life, noted her career in the spotlight had made things difficult, but that she was confident another man would “arrive”.

“You know what it’s like when you have a high profile, you don’t always attract the right types,” Sam said.

“So you just have to be discerning, and I am now, and that’s good.”

Sam Armytage dispels rumours about new love interest

The former Sunrise presenter has been at the centre of speculation about taking a role on Channel 9 network’s Today program, and rumours about a spark with her and Golden Bachelor, Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden.

She told Yahoo Lifestyle Bear was “handsome and kind”, but shut down gossip of them ending up together.

“I roll my eyes, and mostly, I just laugh. I mean, I’ve been around 25 years in TV, so you have to laugh,” Sam said.

“I mean, the Bear rumours I just find absolutely hilarious. Can you imagine? Plot twist: ‘Armytage runs off with the Bachelor’. No, I did not do that.

The rumour mill has been in overdrive that Samantha Armytage and Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden, the Golden Bachelor, are dating. Photo: Getty

The journalist admitted she’s well aware that rumours are a part of “this game that we all play in the media”, but she doesn’t ever give them much thought

“Every time I stand next to a man, they say I’m dating him. I take a friend of mine to the races who’s gay, and they say we’re dating,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“It’s like, no, we’re not! So it’s funny, it’s actually funny.”

Sam Armytage ‘will find love again’

So how does Sam feel about her love life and the prospect of a new partner?

Firstly, she said she is in the prime of her life.

“I’ve never been fitter, or healthier or stronger or more peaceful in myself,” Sam said.

But the 49-year-old proclaimed she was confident she would “find love again”.

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“Of course … I mean, I’m keeping my options open,” she said on the podcast.

“I am fine, don’t worry about me, I’m having fun as always.

“But yes, I will find love again, for sure. I don’t know when. When the time is right.”