She grew up in the Snowy Mountains, went to to school at Adaminaby Public with just six other kids in her class and started her television career in Canberra - now Samantha Armytage has landed the plum job of Sunrise co-host.
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Channel Seven announced on Thursday that Armytage would replace Melissa Doyle as the co-host of the popular breakfast program, joining David Koch on the couch at Brekky Central.
Doyle is leaving Sunrise to front ‘‘a new, prime time Network News initiative’’ for Seven.
Armytage takes on one of the most high-profile media jobs in Australia after fronting Weekend Sunrise for six years.
The 35-year-old, once touted as a contender for Nine’s flagship current affairs program 60 Minutes, joined WIN-TV in Canberra in 1999 and later worked for Sky News at Parliament House before joining Seven in 2003.
She spent her early years growing up on the Snowy Mountains sheep station Bolaro Station, where her father Mac was the manager, before going to school in Sydney.
Doyle, who leaves Sunrise after 14 years, also worked in Canberra in her early days, for both Prime and WIN. Centenary of Canberra executive director Jeremy Lasek worked with both Doyle and Armytage when he was the news director of WIN News.
‘‘Both were naturals for television,’’ Lasek said.
‘‘They have a great presence, a good nose for news. [The late WIN newsreader] Peter Leonard often remarked how the camera loved them both.’’
Lasek said both women had a strong news background but ‘‘it seemed inevitable their careers would be less about journalism and more about hosting great television’’.
‘‘Their ability to connect with an audience is quite remarkable,’’ he said.
‘‘More importantly both Mel and Sam were great team players. They provided a great spirit in the newsroom, had an infectious enthusiasm for work and considering the stresses of getting a 30-minute bulletin together every day they were great fun to be around. They had a remarkable ability to lighten up even the most stressful situation.’’
Canberra’s local news services have long been a breeding ground for journalists who go on to do big things.
Just this week, two of Canberra’s local news alumni - Rosemary Church and John Vause - became co-anchors for CNN International’s World Report, broadcasting from its Atlanta headquarters.
Church, who began her career reading the weekend news for Ten Capital in Canberra in 1986, has been with CNN since 1998.
Vause, who worked for WIN in Canberra, has gone on to report from 30 countries – having been based in Beijing, Jerusalem and Los Angeles – covering the biggest stories in the world.
Vause tweeted on Thursday about his pairing with Church - ‘‘bit like the old days on local TV in Canberra. Rosie at Cap 10, me at WIN News’’.
To which Lasek cheekily replied: ‘‘WIN Canberra on the hunt for new presenter/COS right now!’’ following the imminent departure of presenter Danielle Post who is off to Sydney at the end of the month.
