As one of Australia’s most popular television personalities, Sunrise host Samantha Armytage is no stranger to having her privacy invaded.
But on the weekend, that took on a frightening new turn when the 40-year-old journalist noticed a drone hovering above her Sydney home.
“Saturday night; Pervy, stalker, weirdo paps hovering ANOTHER drone in my backyard,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Calling police in now. ANY women’s magazines or online gossip sites who buy these creepy pictures, had better be prepared for a fight. Fed up with this rubbish.”
But this morning, an anonymous source told KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show the person responsible was not a photographer, but a young boy.
“There is a nearby park, which is commonly used by drone enthusiasts,” the source told the program this morning.
“You only have to go to Samantha Armytage’s street to meet a 10-year-old boy who was delighted on Christmas Day to be given a drone. And it’s this young boy who when you drive into this street is frequently seen flying the same drone that can be seen in [Armytage’s Instagram] photograph.”
When the station promoted the revelation via social media yesterday, Armytage urged them to pass on the information to the authorities, who are currently investigating the matter.
A drone hovering above your home would be unsettling for anyone, regardless of who is flying it. But consider Armytage’s history of being tailed and tormented by the paparazzi, and that unease would naturally compound.
Just last December, a simple trip to the shops saw her panty line become front-page fodder for The Daily Mail.
The images were splashed throughout the story beneath the headline: “Sunrise host Sam Armytage dares to bare with giant granny panties showing a visible line as she steps out in Sydney… after slamming rumours she’s dating Channel Seven colleagues.”
Listen: The Mamamia Out Loud team discusses that particular invasion of privacy. (Post continues after audio.)
The backlash was swift and fierce, and the online publication ultimately issued an apology and amended the story to remove any mention of her underwear.
Samantha Armytage was unable to comment.
Top Comments
What is the legal situation with drones? I can imagine her worry and upset if you are a celebrity or have a stalker.
Minimum 30 metres (horizontally) from people or buildings/cars etc unless you have permission. You can see from the picture that it's not directly overhead.
A lot of people freak out over drones thinking they will be used to spy, but you can hear the things from a mile away. There's simply no way you can get close enough to recognise a person without them knowing about it.
There'll always be people who do the wrong thing, but most drone operators are simply out there for fun (or work)