Samantha Armytage has gotten into hot water for some of her on-air comments in the past.
But the former Sunrise co-host has now revealed she would likely be “cancelled” if she made the same remarks in the current political climate.
“I’ve learned some hard lessons,” she told fellow breakfast TV co-worker Karl Stefanovic on her podcast Something to Talk About this week.
Cancel culture: Sam Armytage (pictured) has gotten into hot water in the past for some of her on-air comments. The former Sunrise co-host has now revealed she would likely be “cancelled” if she made the same comments in the current political climate
“There were some things I said on air that I would probably cancel now that I got away with.”
She continued, “I shouldn’t say they got away with it because they weren’t outrageous. They might just not have been popular or conservative, so now they would be shouted down.’
In March 2015, Armytage sparked controversy after appearing to congratulate a woman in an interview for appearing whiter than her twin.
The veteran journalist denied allegations of racism at the time, but apologized “to anyone I may have offended.”
Bullet dodged, “I learned some hard lessons,” she told her breakfast TV host, Karl Stefanovic, on her Something to Talk About podcast this week. “There were some things I said on air that I would probably get canceled with now that I got away with.”
Then in 2018, during a Sunrise segment on rules for adopting Indigenous children, Armytage incorrectly stated that Indigenous children could only be placed in the care of other Indigenous families.
“After the stolen generation, there was a big step towards leaving Aboriginal children where they are, even if they are neglected in their own families,” she said on the air.
Demonstrators then gathered in front of the Sunrise studios on Martin Place to demonstrate against these and other statements by the panel.
A fresh start: Armytage left Sunrise last year and was replaced by Natalie Barr (left, with co-host David ‘Kochie’ Koch).
Elsewhere during the interview with Stefanovic, Armytage admitted that she previously hosted Sunrise while intoxicated.
“I mean, hello, we were all drunk on the air!” laughed the TV personality.
Stefanovic, 47, was notoriously still drunk when he hosted Nine’s Today Show at the 2009 Logie Awards the morning after a long night of drinking.
Boozy Bombshell: Armytage also admitted she was “drunk on the air” while hosting Sunrise
However, Armytage said her high wasn’t that obvious, admitting, “I was sneaky. I was not included in the newspapers. Nobody knew.’
‘Thanks, finally an approval!’ countered Stefanovic, her former breakfast TV rival, before joking that her anecdote would likely lead to a spate of headlines.
‘Karl gets a horrible admission from Sam: ‘I was drunk too! Nobody noticed,” he laughed.
Tipsy: The former co-host of Seven’s premier breakfast show made the admission while speaking with Stefanovic on her podcast Something to Talk About. (Pictured with Kylie Gillies)
Moving on: Armytage fired Sunrise last March, saying she wanted to spend more time in the country with her new husband
Armytage left Sunrise in March last year, saying she wants to spend more time in the country with her new husband, Richard Lavender.
She said last month she couldn’t be happier since she swapped busy life in Sydney for a quieter existence in Bowral, NSW.
“I have met a divine and decent man, sweeter than the sweetest rose,” she told New Idea of her marriage to Lavender, an equestrian businessman.
“At 42 I found the love of my life. How lucky am I? And I realized that you don’t find the happy life, you make it.’
‘I met a divine man’: Armytage said last month she couldn’t be happier since she and her husband Richard Lavender (left) traded busy life in Sydney for a quieter existence in Bowral.
During the same interview, Armytage described her role at Sunrise as a “scrutinized, adrenaline-pumping, high-pressure job.”
On their last day at Sunrise, Armytage fired a farewell shot at the “bullying” media.
Things took a serious turn towards the end of the show when she burst into tears and accused “some aspects of the media” of treating her unfairly.
“I want to say that I never fully understood some of the scrutiny, scorn and bullying in some aspects of the media,” she said.
Tough job: In the same interview, Armytage described her role at Sunrise as a “highly tested, adrenaline-pumping, high-pressure job.” (Pictured on her last day)
“But today we’re moving on from that because a new chapter is beginning and it’s been an overwhelmingly good experience in my life.”
She continued, “Most of all, thank you to all of our viewers. You are just wonderful people. There are so many lovely people. So much more beautiful than evil.’
Since leaving Armytage Sunrise, he has guest-starred on Farmer Wants a Wife and also recorded a podcast for Stellar magazine.
Keeping busy: Since leaving Sunrise, Armytage has guest-starred on Farmer Wants a Wife and also recorded a podcast for Stellar magazine