They may be two of the most beloved hosts on television, but even Today‘s Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo have to take a break at some point. Thankfully, as they step away from the news desk this holiday season, they’ve got a bunch of talented replacements.
Kicking off the holiday season is Today Extra fan favourites David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys, but as mid-December rolls around, it’ll be The Golden Bachelor host Samantha Armytage and radio star Michael “Wippa” Wipfli keeping us in the know.
Following Samantha’s appointment as host of The Golden Bachelor, there had been some speculation over what her next move with the network following the conclusion of the reality show’s first season. In a chat with TV WEEK, Samantha said that she was ready for whatever project Nine had on the cards for her.
“It’s very good time to be at nine. I think the culture is very good at the moment. I think that there’s a lot of cohesion. I think that they’ve really got some interesting programming. They’re making some great decisions. There’s a lot of thought about the future, which I like,” Samantha explains.
“I think there’s great opportunities coming up with Nine and I think there’s really good times ahead. TV is a tricky industry these days. It’s harder to make money.
“It’s a big business but I still think it’s a good business and I still think people love it. There’s never been a better time to be in TV. There is more content now than there ever has been before. So it’s just a matter of finding the right vehicles and the right projects.”
While Samantha is relatively new to the Nine Network, It’s not the first time Samantha has stepped on the Today show set. She previously hosted the holiday break last year with weather presenter Dan Anstey.
She also famously hosted competitor breakfast show Sunrise on Channel Seven from 2013 to 2021.
Samantha and Wippa will be holding down the ship during the festive season, both Karl and Sarah will return to Today on Monday, January 19, 2026.
