Sam Armytage's Sunrise contract up in the air: "I don't know what the future holds"
Just when you thought Australia’s breakfast TV hosts had finished playing their game of musical chairs, stunning comments from Sunrise presenter Sam Armytage have thrown her future on the popular Channel 7 morning program into doubt.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Armytage’s contract with Sunrise is due to expire next year, and the presenter is being headhunted by Channel 10’s new US owner CBS.
“Life has to evolve and wherever it evolves, I don’t know. I honestly haven’t thought about it too much just yet,” Armytage said, addressing the rumours.
“I never expected to get this job. I hope it continues a bit longer but mornings are a hard slog and I don’t know what the future holds.”
Armytage also commented on recent debate surrounding the gender pay gap which has been brought about by Lisa Wilkinson’s widely publicised move from mornings on Channel Nine’s Today to evenings on Channel 10’s The Project.
The Sunrise presenter argued it’s “completely ridiculous” to expect pay parity in an industry that didn’t have a regimented pay scale in place and, “any of us would be lying to say that we are all trying to earn the same”.
“I think there’s an awful lot of men that I’m paid better than, so that argument is completely ridiculous. That’s not bragging; that’s just a fact,” she said.
“If somebody can run their price up because they are being offered something by another network then good luck to them. If you’re lucky, you have that once or twice in your career.”
Armytage also quashed rumours that she was being paid a mere half of the $1 million annual pay packet rumoured to be earned by her morning co-host David Koch.
“I try to stay in my lane; worry about myself and try not to be looking over my colleagues’ back fences too much,” Armytage said.
“I don’t know exactly what Kochie earns and he doesn’t know what I earn. Nobody has ever guessed my salary correctly.”
“I’m very happy with where I am. Kochie has been doing the job 15 years … so if there were any differences, which I don’t think there is too much, then it’s probably deserved.”
What are your thoughts? Would you be sad to see Sam leave Sunrise?
Hero image credit: YouTube / NateDogg