Samantha Armytage has revealed for the first time the painful fertility struggle she experienced privately during her marriage to her former husband, Richard Lavender.
The former Sunrise presenter, 50, shared the emotional disclosure on her new podcast, Act Two, where she discussed her unsuccessful IVF journey and the grief of relinquishing her long-held dream of becoming a mother.
In the deeply personal episode released on Wednesday, Armytage revisited one of the most challenging periods of her life. She said fertility stories are often discussed openly when treatment leads to a baby, but the experience can be very different for women whose IVF journey does not deliver the outcome they had hoped for.
‘There is a unique kind of grief in letting go of that specific future,’ she said.
‘Many high-profile women are happy to talk about IVF when the journey is successful.
‘But coming to terms with a failed IVF journey takes time. And there is a unique kind of grief in letting go of that specific future.’
Samantha Armytage has spoken publicly for the first time about the painful fertility battle she experienced privately during her marriage to former husband Richard Lavender
The Golden Bachelor host married wealthy businessman Lavender in a high-profile ceremony in Bowral in December 2020.
Armytage was 44 at the time, while Lavender was 60.
The couple separated in 2024 after almost four years of marriage. However, Armytage made clear that their fertility struggles were not the reason the relationship ended.
The television presenter said she had been privately trying to start a family during the marriage, while also dealing with significant changes in her professional life.
Her IVF journey took place around the same time as her shock departure from Sunrise in 2021. The decision prompted widespread speculation, particularly because the breakfast program was enjoying strong ratings and reports suggested she was earning about $500,000 a year.
At the time, Armytage told viewers she wanted to leave the spotlight temporarily and embrace a more relaxed way of life.
‘I want to step out of this public world for a while and take some time and calm things down. Enjoy a bit of slow living and spend some time with my precious family,’ she said during her emotional farewell.
She has now revealed that another deeply personal struggle was unfolding away from the cameras.
The former Sunrise presenter says she has made peace with letting go of her dream of motherhood after an unsuccessful IVF journey
Armytage married Lavender in a high-profile Bowral ceremony in December 2020 before the couple separated four years later
‘While that chapter didn’t close the way we initially wanted, and I add, it was not the reason for that marriage to end… it opened up a different beautiful path for me,’ Armytage said on her podcast.
Although the experience was heartbreaking, she said she has found a sense of fulfilment in the family relationships she already has.
‘I am so incredibly grateful to the family I do have,’ she added.
‘Being an aunt is one of the most important roles in my life, to my nieces and nephews and to all of my friends’ children, too.’
Armytage appeared to hold back tears when she mentioned her beloved dog, Banjo, who sadly died in 2024.
‘This may explain why I always refer to my darling Labrador, Banjo, as really being my baby, and why I felt his loss so deeply,’ she said.
The heartbreaking revelation comes after Armytage revealed exclusively to Daily Mail how her taste in men has changed following her split from Lavender.
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‘I certainly think as a woman, as you get older, it dramatically changes what you’re looking for,’ she said.
The television star revealed she had been privately attempting to start a family during the marriage while also navigating major changes in her professional life. Pictured with Golden Bachelor season one star Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden
‘What you want in a man and a partner, and what you will tolerate and won’t tolerate. That has dramatically changed for me, and I’m sure many other women my age.
‘That actually gives you a lot more power and a lot more freedom. You make choices a lot faster.’
While Lavender has reportedly moved on with Double Bay socialite Georgie Curran, Armytage has been living the high life back in Sydney following her separation and subsequent move back to the city.
Even just in the last five to ten years, her taste in men has shifted since she was married to Lavender, whom she married on New Year’s Eve in 2020.
‘That was 10 years ago when I first met my now ex-husband. So yeah, I mean, gosh, your whole 40s, you dramatically change what you’re looking for,’ she explained.
‘I now have a priority on meeting someone and connecting with someone who calms your nervous system. That’s very important to me now.
‘And [someone who] is kind and is caring and has their own life. Your wish list changes, and that’s good.’
Armytage moved from Sydney to Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands in 2021 to embrace a quieter lifestyle.
During the podcast episode, the TV star appeared emotional while discussing her late Labrador, Banjo, whom she affectionately described as her ‘baby’
At the time, her stardom had shot up as the popular host of Sunrise, but the longtime TV star shocked her fans when she quit her breakfast show shortly after her move to the country.
She took on less work at Seven, becoming the host of Farmer Wants A Wife in 2023 after appearing on the show in a support role in 2022.
Armytage initially lived on Lavender’s 40-hectare rural property in the Southern Highlands, before later purchasing and renovating a home in Moss Vale.
Following their split, she has since relocated back to Sydney and jumped ship to Nine.
Armytage, who is no longer in touch with Lavender, said she is so much happier being back in the big smoke but wouldn’t rule out moving to the country for a partner again.
‘You just never know who you’re gonna meet and where you’re gonna end up, but my heart is always in the country. I am a country girl,’ she explained.
‘I grew up down near Adaminaby in the Snowy Mountains, and my dad is in Wagga. So I’m very much a country girl. I’m not sure I’d move to the country again.
‘I think right now, I get my energy from the city, and I love that, but never say never… In this industry, you do really need to be in the city.
‘But I understand why I moved to the country when I did. Why I bought a country house back in those Sunrise days.
‘Life was so hectic and it was so busy, and I did want to retreat and I just needed to find some calm and some peace. So I totally understand why I did that.
‘I don’t really need to do that now. Life has changed, and I manage everything a lot better now. And my boundaries are much stricter now.
‘So, I’m in a better place from that perspective. But I still love the country and I’m still a huge supporter of regional Australia, because I really know country people.’
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