It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast Last Weep Their Life.
Welcome back to TV Reload.
My name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet still very little is note about how our favorite shows get made. However, each episode I find guests they want to dive just that little bit deeper into the shows they're currently making so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest
names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast TV Reload. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review
or a comment on your chosen podcast platform. On today's podcast, I have Samantha Armitage, who is an Australian journalist, former Sunrise presenter and now host of Farmer Wants a Wife joining me to talk about her new role on the hugely successful dating series, which last night won the ratings battle as it launched its twenty twenty three season on
Channel seven. Samantha Jock viewers in twenty twenty one when she quit her coveted role on the Channel seven Breakfast show, which made her a household name and staple amongst the gossip pages.
She is now.
Backfront and center in twenty twenty three, playing Cupid to five new farmers plucked from the paddocks around Australia. The show continues tonight and while the ads have boasted all farmers will find love. The journey is set to be heartwarming and entertaining, with three episodes a week for audiences to sink their teeth into. I will ask Sam about her transition from serious journalist to reality TV host and
who has been her inspiration over the years. We will talk about Sam's decision to replace former host Natalie Gruelski and what her relationship has really been like with her behind the scenes. We will also clear up those rumors that Samantha has signed for Dancing with the Stars along with doctor Chris Brown, and will also get a bit of a tease as to what's going.
To happen with her podcast next.
Plus, we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of the latest series of Farmer Wants a Wife, which you can catch up on now on seven Plus. Anyway, let's bring Sam into the podcast. I'm a big fan and I really do hope you enjoy this very candid chat with her.
Hey, how are you?
I'm good. I'm good. I've got a pig. I've got to pick herbro doors sitting next to me on the couch, and when I say hello, I think someone's here. I hope he doesn't start barking and blow your ear drums out. How are you?
I'm very well, and I have my Westy outside. Because you would know this from recording podcasts, is that pets love to be involved. So I've learned to just have him not even here because like, doesn't he get fomo though, Oh yeah, he's he's outside, Like he's two doors away from actually coming to you. From Warburton. I spend a lot of time out here in Victoria. I thought it was very farmer once a wife with my self.
I'm looking over your shoulder and it looks very nice and warm there.
It's really lovely. I mean in a log cabin or something.
It's a log cabin that my best friend's parents build. This is now getting very far away from Farmer, but they.
Built it to me, I know, kind of my brand, but they built.
It two years before she was born, so she came here her whole life, and then we fell in love with it. I'm forty three, so I've been coming here now for twenty five years.
Fabulous.
I love to get out of the city, you know.
Yeah, I know that feeling. And now we are back on brand for Farmer once a whork.
I'm going to get into this because otherwise, because otherwise it I'll come undone.
So just three to one. Hi, Sam, how are you?
Oh? Ben? Hi, I'm very well.
This is such an exciting project for you.
I have to ask you were you were a fan of this show before you became involved.
Yes, I genuinely was a fan of the show. I have been watching it for many years, even when it was on the other network that we can't talk about.
But I have always loved it because I always thought it was a terrific vehicle for helping countrymen find decent women, which I know sounds crazy in twenty twenty three, but it is God for a lot of blokes in the country to find someone because a lot of girls seem to move back to the city or move to the city for work, and the boys are sort of, you know, if it's a family property, they're sort of stuck there or they want I mean, they want to be there,
but it was hard. I saw a lot of really decent blow missing out on love or getting married late, or you know, just having a really tough time. And so I always thought it was a great show that had a great heart, and so when I was asked to be a part of it, I said, yes.
It's a great synergy, and I really love the fact that you yourself have gone out into the regional part of New South Wales. But I was going to say, I wondered whether or not you were kind of already doing this show. Had you already been you know, trying to hook people up and set up this sort of dating game.
Anyway, Well, you.
Know, there was a lot of people in my life. Yes, I guess, I guess it was sort of happening around me, whether or not I was actually playing cute, but I was seeing it happen a lot with girlfriends of mine who were also sick of this city, who were going out to the country to look for the decent husbands. And so I did know a lot of city girls who were getting together with country blocks. In fact, the regional areas are full of the dynamics of these kind
of relationships. And it's wonderful because I think this is part of the resurgence of many of these country towns, is that there's a hell of a lot of dynamic women out there and they're starting families. These schools that you know, probably in my childhood, I was at a school out of men to be public. There was twenty four kids in the whole school and six in my class all the way through to y six, and it was on the verge of closing down the whole time.
So these schools are now sort of burgeoning, full of kids and full of really active, intelligent mothers. These P and C organizations are going crazy. These women out there in regional areas now running their own businesses. They are so dynamic. So I am seeing a lot of this around me. And so when I met Rich and started to make some decision to change my life around, it was I guess the similar premise. I thought, you know, I can't really you know, obviously couldn't do sunrise and
in the country. But I was trying to work it out how I could do it a couple of days a week, and then I just decided I really did want a different lifestyle, so I made some changes. So, you know, I think it's it's happening all the time. And as with reality TV, you'll know this, reality TV takes what's going on and puts it under the microscope so that everybody can watch it three times a week and it's fabulous.
Well, I really love a journalist in the role of a reality TV host. I mean that's always been my sweet spot. And if you look at some of the best hosts over time since you know, it really started, you know, twenty years ago, it's academic that a journalist is the best person to host a show like this. It gives it more authority. Is a great way to look at it. But did you have a favorite host of reality TV that you could go, well, that's that's amazing and I can lean into that.
I can borrow some of that.
My goodness. Well, I did always love and very much ADM Gretel Colleen. I used to devour her books and thought she was a very, very funny and brilliant woman. So I always liked her. I think Sonya Krueger is fantastic, Julie Morris and Chris Brown. You know, there's a lot of great people out there doing this sort of stuff. It's funny you say that, because when this job was first offered to me, I sort of thought, oh, I'm a journalist, you know, and I've done trying to work
it out this morning before I spoke to you. I started working in a newsroom the week I left university in nineteen ninety eight, and that was twenty five years ago, and then I basically was NonStop ever since. So I had done a lot of time in that newsroom environment and the grind of news, which is a relentless cycle, and go to be offered something like this, which is a bit lighter. It's fun, it's sweet, it's gorgeous. It's been a great opportunity for me, and the producers are
so lovely. I have to do a big shout out to Fremantle and Eureka for not only having Banjo the Labrador snoring on the floor of the edit suite as we've been doing the voiceover sessions. They've all embraced him, but they've been so wonderful to me, and they love that I can just connect with these farmers and I say, Brad, what's happening in Kuda Mundele or you know, I know Bookm, I know Couda, I know Narromine. You know, I don't
know Pasiers where David's from the stand. I know stan Thought, but I've got to know some of these towns as well. But you know, it's sort of my life. You know, when you grow up in the country, you're connected to the country, so I knew how to talk to farmers.
I think that it's the perfect thing.
I mean, I know that it's very I mean, when you are a journalist at your high level, it must seem like, oh, reality TV.
That is a bit light.
But I actually think, going back to what I originally said about having some authority, I mean your unearthing story, that's what you've always been doing, and you have been amazing at being able to do that with your own heart and your own integrity. So for me to hear that you're coming to host this show was a real sweet spot because I'm like, this is Sam at her best and well lucky to have her do this.
Oh thank you for saying that. I appreciate that, and you've hit the noil right in the head because it is storytelling and it's fundamental basics that it's hard, and that's what journalism, it obviously is. The news cycle does become a little bit more relentless and a little bit more hard and negative at times. But yes, it is about when I stripped back, you know, after all those years in journalism and making the changes I made in my life, and I had to strip it all back
and go what do I love most about this? And it wasn't necessarily being on air, and it certainly wasn't being in a full face of makeup, and it definitely wasn't being packed or on the front of the women's magazines. And I thought, you know what I love here, Why I went into this career in the first place, is storytelling. So when an opportunity comes along and go host another show in the network that at its heart, you're right,
is storytelling. It was a great opportunity that I jumped at and I have to say I have been thinking about this since we shot the show. The character here that doesn't get enough attention is the Australian boosh is the Australian landscape because the cameramen that work on this show are unbelievably talented and they have shot this scenery throughout the show that you will see that will make you so proud to be an Australian. These are just some of the most beautiful landscapes and it helps it.
They're romantic because that helps the show. But there are great stories out there. These blokes, these farmers have got great storylines and the ladies who come in to meet them are fascinating, very interesting and dynamic.
I love about this.
What I love about this show and what I've always loved about it is that there is a very wholesome nature to it. However, there's this huge debate about what it is that people want to watch on reality television With the Juggernaut, it's married at first sight, being that there is a lot more scandal involved in that, that's a little bit more drama, there's a lot more confrontation. Whilst you guys sort of lean away from that, you know, do you think that they're I mean, what do you
think audiences want. Do you think audiences want farmer wants a wife to stay very wholesome in the way we've always known it, or do you think there is a bit of a maybe, I don't know, a tipping point into wanting to lean into more of what that controversial reality TV has become.
Oh, Ben, that's a big question. What do audiences want. I don't know if anybody, because everybody says, everybody says it's too much, they don't want the drama, and then they confess to you they do watch maps or they do. You know, we're humans. You do need a bit of drama. There is drama in life, so of course there's going to be drama in reality TV. I think the difference with us with Farmer is that it is definitely not Maps.
There is not that much drama, but it is. There are love stories here, so you're going to have the ups and downs of people falling in love. And obviously you've got five girls out on each farm, five ladies on each farm with each Farmer, so you're going to have You're going to have your moments of drama and your moments of complete hilarity. A my add as well.
But look, we do lean away from that sort of maths thing very deliberately, and really I say to people, I say to my friends and family, it is a very genuine show most of the people, all of the farmers, are there for the right reasons. They are looking to find someone seriously. And I think everybody really is there for the right reasons. They want to make good television, but we also wanted to really, you know, help people fall in love. It is wholesome. It's as wholesome as
you get on television in twenty twenty three. Let me tell you that I.
Think it's a good alternative. You know, No, that's you know. I think everything has its place.
What I thought was interesting about what you were saying there is about us all wanting to find love. I think we all fear like you know, we grew up watching Disney movies. You grew up wanting a love story for yourself. Do you think it's becoming easier or do you think it's becoming harder? With you know, apps and technology? You know, what do you think or how do you think finding love is in twenty twenty three? Is it easier or harder than it's ever been before?
Well? I think finding true love is incredibly hard and if you find it, you're incredibly lucky, and you should grip onto it and hold on to it like I did, because it took me a long time. Don't forget. I didn't get married till I was in my early forties. So by no means was it easy for me. That's an interesting question, Ben. I don't know. It should like everything else in this day and age, it should be
easier because technology should make things easier. But rich has two daughters who are in their twenties, and you know, it's quite it's quite acceptable that all these apps that they got, you know, Richard's the youngest daughter said to me the other day, Oh, no one talks face to face anymore, Richard. I were like, what, so quite acceptable for that generation, that that's how they do me. And yet then she says, oh, there's some real losers on there.
You know, you've yah got a bruit. And I was like, good Sash, I should hope you are being very choicy. But so I think it's incredibly hard to find love, and I don't know if I don't think technologies is making that any easier. But I think if you if you take your time and you find the right one, then it's so worth it. And love is everything, isn't it, Ben? Like I mean, it's really you know, without loving your
life what do you have? Love and health? I realize now at the ripe old age of forty six, about the most important things you can have.
Well, I'm in a relationship now.
I've been in one for nearly fourteen years, and in the LGBT IQ plus world, it's a very rare thing to find a relationship that has sort of lived that. I always say to people, we've been together fourteen years, but in straight terms, converted from gay terms, that's like seven hundred years.
So it's hard to find love.
But I mean, I think it's you know, if you find it, you're right, you've got to hang on to it. And there's a lot of there's a lot that we aren't talking about though, with young people when it comes to compromise. I think if you want to be in a good relationship, there is an enormous amount of compromise. And I think, without saying something so negative about the next general the generations below me, but I don't think they want to compromise. I think they've always had things
at their fingertips. So I think that there's a lot that you know, we as you know, forties, can teach young people about how to make relationships work.
Yes, because relationships are work. I mean, it's not all. It's not all you know TV shows that wrap up in an hour and everybody ends happily. You know, it is hard work. And you know, I'm new to this marriage thing. Fourteen years, I see. I think fourteen years is fantastic achievement. We've only been married too. And I have some days where I go, oh my god, But but no, I love it.
That's a real relationship.
And Richard would probably say the same thing, right, you know, like if you're going to have a if you're in a real relationship with someone, you've got to unpack your bag of shit in front of this person and they have to do the same thing. And you know it has to be balanced, you know what I mean, Like you have to have both people being real, and that creates problems in every day, every day.
Life one hundred percent. And I guess farm at the show is at there at the beginning of this. But I quite like this show because I think it is it is a whole different scenario. There's that romantic ideal of a countryman and living on a farm and you know, having chickens, but the reality of that and I keep saying this during the show. I think people are sick of me saying it, but you know, if you really want to go into that life, it's wonderful and rewarding.
But it is totally different to the city. It is not easy. It is it can be quite isolated. You've got to be a particularly resilient woman and you've got to realize that that man, you know, farming is not My mother used to say this about my father. Farming is not just a job, but it is a lifestyle. So you are moving out there and that man will love the land, and you've got to love the land too and be part of that partnership, which I think
is a really nice well. I think it's really interesting because it's more than just those reality shows where you throw a wine glass at each other and then you go to a commercial break. I mean, this is this is a lifelong thing that you have to commit to and it's not going to be easy. You know. These ladies that come out to be on this show know that, and I think that's part of it too. I think it's wonderful that Australia gets to see the beauty of our country and you know that old thing that the
Australia is riding on the sheep's back. You know, it's part of our culture, this wonderful agricultural industry that we have that has supported us for so many years. And I love that we just all still love our farmers so dearly.
This is not a spoiler as well, but we are promoting this show by saying that all of these farmers find love. Do you think that's a bold move to take away from us wondering whether or not they do find love? I mean, is that an interesting decision for you guys to make, to tell us that it's all good to end?
Well?
Well, because when we were filming, they all were falling in love, they were all finding love, and I did stay to the EP one day. Oh my god, what are we going to do? How do we tell Australia about this? Like is it just you know, if everybody falls in love, it's like, oh, well, that's the end. No one's going to watch. It's actually far more fascinating
than that, because this is the journey. Ben. You've got to work out which one which lady each farmer falls in love with, And like all of our paths to love, there's ups and downs so I think the fun and the adventure in this season's show will be the viewers working out which girl each Farmer picks. Because it was really good. I mean, we had to tell us Radier that they found love. There was no way around it, because they all did.
I think it was crazy.
I was sitting next to Nav from Publicity High Nav in the background, but we watched the promo on a big screen, you know, on the first idle night, and we watched this promo and I was like, this is a bold move to tell everyone that you know that they're going to find love.
But it's true.
We still don't know who it's going to be. You know, we still have to go and take that journey. And I think I've heard on the groundswell more people are interested in coming to this. I think is basically, you know, the hangover from some of the other reality shows like Maths. I think everyone's coming for something a little bit more wholesome.
Yes, and I tell you what, some of them will surprise. I can't tell you, Ben, this is really going to be hard for me. I'm terrified I'm going to blab that you know what happened, But.
Some of them don't Bury the lead.
No, some of them will surprise you, you know. I on the first night in the barrel room. The first night were shooting, and you know, I sort of just just met the farmers and then we just met the lady. And I always like to think I'm pretty clever in those situations. I'm thinking, Okay, he's going to pick her. And there were some big surprises for me. At the end.
I was like, what, okay, that's interesting. Some of them I think you'll work out, but there's others that you'll go, oh wow, did not see that coming?
Brilliant? Do you have a favorite farmer? Do you have someone have you? Is it hard not to pick favorites? You know.
You can't ask me to pick a favorite farmer. That's like a picking a favorite child. I'm so I really really like these farmers this year. They were I liked them last year too, and I haven't only been involved two years, so I've only known them. But they are all divine and they're quite different. I think Australia farmer Brad is very handsome. He's from farmer David has very sparkly eyes. He's very sweet too. I think Brenton, I mean every person in Australia is going to fall in
love with Brenton. He's just hilarious and he's like sort of your little brother. We just go God, you are just living your best love. Andrew's devine. He's our older farmer. I mean he's only forty one, but he's our older farmer and he's just such a great soul, a really nice bloke. And Matt from Bookham is the youngest farmer and he's having it. He's got an interesting time because he's so young, and I'm like, are you really ready
for this? And he says he's really ready for it, So I think I think everyone will love to meet Matt too. So they're very different blokes, which I suppose is what you want, but they're all just gorgeous and very genuine in their own ways.
Sam, that actually just really resonated with me.
I'm like, the elder farmer now is forty one and is younger, and both younger than both of us.
Like I in my notes, it's like, you know, the older farmer Andrew, and then I'm pet reading is forty one. I was like, oh, for goodness.
Sake, before we finish up, I was going to say swapping your role for you know, with Nat. You know, NAT's been on the show for a very long time, so that might be a little bit daunting at times. But I want to know what advice did Natalie give you, because I can imagine the two of you were able to swap some notes.
Yes, NAT's been divine. She was sort of like, just be yourself, you're going to love it. And she's still in there. So she's sort of going to actually bring back some farmers from previous years so we can get to patch up with them. And they're the ones that are married now with babies. And I can't remember the exact stats, I probably should know them, but there's something like twenty nine farmer babies that have been born since the show started in Australia, so there's this huge success rate.
So NAT's sort of gone out and found all those families again and she's going to reintroduce us to them, and then she's got some other stuff planned. They've got a bit of a NAT's getaway in the middle where she's going to introduce some new ladies in and upset the apple cart a little bit. But she was completely divined. She was just sort of like enjoy it and be yourself and have fun. And you know you're married to a farmer. You know what they're going to go through. Yes, I do.
Channel seven's been your home for so long. I mean, we all know you as being a staple there. It would be remiss for me not to ask this question. But there's lots of rumors about you maybe doing another show coming up. You are allowed to tell us anything about whether or not you have another project coming up on Channel seven.
Ben. As usual in my life and career, I'm the last one to hear the rumors about me. No, I don't have another show coming up, but this one has been enough for me at the moment. I did a bit horse racing last spring, which was great fun. So I'm just quite happy to, you know, just have a little bit going on, but not too much. But no, honestly, I don't have another show. Yeah.
You know what's interesting about that is someone said to me because there was a story that was just a I tweeted something about a real housewife from overseas, like
what was I even thinking? And turned out this real housewife had tweeted me back, and then it was in the Daily Mail and it had been up for like three days, and a friend of mine asked me about it, and I was like, what do you think that I have Google alerts on myself to read what happens in the daily mail, you know, But it doesn't bring me to that question. I mean, do you just avoid all of those websites?
Oh?
Yes, oh goodness, yes, I did go mad if you. But look, it's really occasionally I'm amazed by how many people tell me what you know? Did you see what they wrote about you today? And I'm actually, firstly, I'm amazed still writing about me because I haven't been on air for a couple of years, so you know, I would have thought people might forget fine now. And I'm always amazed when people tell me what's going on on
these tabloid websites. But most of it's not true, and you do have to wear it like a little bit of a badge of honor. I guess it's a big news cycle to feel, so they have to fill it with something. It's often made better to be talked about than not, I guess, Ben, But I promise you this, there's nothing other than farmer. There's nothing terribly exciting on the horizon for me, which is just the way I want it.
Well. Yeah, And I also, because I've been in your audience for so long, I wanted to ask you about your podcast that you did for two years. Was that a really interesting thing for you to be able to do, because you know, making things in short, sharp form format for so long and then telling stuff over a longer period of time.
What was that like for you?
Yes, I really enjoyed that I did that. I did forty four episodes a year for two years, so that was good, and it sort of filled a space when I wasn't on air, so I wasn't working every day. But again back to what we talked about before, it was storytelling and I had never in my career done that sort of long form storytelling, so it was it was a rewiring of the brain, if you like. Yes, yeah,
which is a little bit intimidating. And there were you know, it was hard for a while to get to know because I mean the longest in an interview ever went on Sunrise was like three minutes, So to do something for forty minutes is a whole different way of thinking, and you can really dive deep in a very different way of interviewing but I really enjoyed the experience with some fantastic people on I think I interviewed every single
person in their whole Australian entertainment industry in that time, and you know, I just I had a bit much. Everything was happening at the same time. You know, I have racing going, We're shooting Farmer, and so something had to give. But watch this Space, man, we might see something exitting coming in the not too distant future on the podcast front. But because it's a nice vehicle, you know, I think people do have the time to listen to podcasts.
I think they're wonderful things. I listened to them a lot, and it just has to be the right one. You want to do, you want to do, you want to have sort of quality. You just don't want to pump them out, you know, you want to you want to have something you're really proud of. So watch this Space.
Well, I'm in your audience. I've always been in your audience, and I think that you do an amazing job with unearthing stories from people, and I can't wait to watch Farmer.
The last question I will ask you, though, is.
What is something from behind the scenes, something that we maybe like a funny anecdote, something that we won't see from your experience of filming Farmer for this season. Is there anything that happened behind the scenes that you can share.
You're putting me on the spot, and there's so many things I can't share.
You funny something.
There was one. I have to tell you this story. And I don't think that the producers will get cranky when we go. Just make sure when you're watching, and this was genuinely behind the scenes. Probably won't see this on camera. The Country Ball, which we filmed off on the central coast of New South Wales, and it was I mean, as you know, you're a Victorian, but I'm sure you've been living through this lave Nina. I mean,
it has not stopped raining here for three years. It was a show based clin torrential thunderstorm, so it was it's just so wet and we're all right. The girls were in these tity dresses because it was a ball, I mean, they wanted to wear a little dresses. So everybody was freezing. Everybody looked like a drown rat. There was a picture taken of me which I saw the other day and it just looks like I've sort of got my hands pressed together, like I'm praying for the
rain stop. All the crew were getting leeches on their legs out of the grass because it was so wet, and honestly, it was just like it was just like I'm again and it was crazy, but it was I mean, that's all just part of making a show, isn't it. I guess, an outdoor show in the weather.
Yes, French kissing in the barn and French kissing from the leeches on your legs and no one is spared.
Well, look, it is quite a dramatic episode on air, so that might give you a bit of decide into how it was behind the scenes as to what drove a lot of the drama that night. We probably put it down to mother nature.
Sam.
Can I just say thank you so much for being so generous with your time. I have been looking forward to chatting to you for years. I think you do a fantastic job and I can't wait to see what you bring to the show.
Oh, Ben, thank you so much for having me on. I really loved our chat and hopefully we're talking again soon.