entertainment

What is behind the leaks about Samantha Armytage?

Samantha Armytage has been the victim of multiple vicious leaks. But where are they coming from?

Recent ‘leaks’ would have you believe that Samantha Armytage is quickly becoming Australia’s most difficult star.

The 37-year-old has been depicted as a diva with a wild temper, with some media outlets reporting last week that Sam ‘unfairly manhandled’ her make-up artist Eliza Campagna on the set of Sunrise over the summer.

According to reports, Campagna was so upset over the incident that she approached Channel 7’s Human Resources department to make a complaint.

For more: Sunrise’s Sam Armytage accused of ‘shoving’ a colleague.

Armytage dismissed the rumours as “total rubbish”, although David Porter, Seven’s director of TV Operations, confirmed that something did happen on set.

Sam dismissed reports that she ‘manhandled’ a coworker as ‘total rubbish’.

“Eliza was about to walk into a live shot so Sam put her hand out to stop her. In live TV, this kind of thing happens all the time,” he said.

Ever since Armytage took over the Melissa Doyle’s gig as Sunrise co-host in mid-2013, she has been the subject of damaging leaks – leaks that some people suspect are coming from inside Channel 7 itself.

Media analyst Steve Allen says he believes the links originate from jealous Channel 7 insiders.

“This is a nasty attack and it has been going on for months — we’ve just got a new outbreak,” Mr Allen, chief executive of Fusion Stategy, told News.com.au.

More: The Sam Armytage Women’s Weekly cover that has everyone talking.

“My intuition tells me that some people at Seven were really unhappy that Melissa Doyle was replaced and that Sam got the job.

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“Since the day that change was announced there have always been snide remarks and this is the second big wave.

“The bosses should be stepping in. Some heads should get knocked together and those that don’t get the message should be fired.”

Sam with Jimmy Barnes on the set of Sunrise.

Armytage, a self-confessed perfectionist, told the Herald Sun recently that she was “surprised” by the attacks.

“I was surprised by how many knives came out from people who maybe had had their day in the sun. It was pretty vicious.

“I don’t shy away from the fact that I’m a perfectionist and expect a high quality of work around me (but) I don’t consider myself to have a short temper.

Read more: Sam Armytage tells Mamamia: “I don’t need you to speak for me.

“I think the people who want to compete with you and want to see you not do well will try and pick on anything they can including leaking to newspapers to bring you down.”

The good news? The leaks haven’t affected Armytage’s popularity with the Australian public, with Maxus national trading director Nathan Cook reporting a boost in Sunrise‘s audience since last year.

It seems that Taylor got it right: Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Even inside your own station.

Shake it off, Sam.

Click through the gallery for a quick look at Sam at work and on the red carpet.

 

What do you think? Is Sam the diva we’re being led to believe – or is this just a case of tall poppy syndrome?