Meet Samantha Armytage’s famous exes as she prepares to marry Richard Lavender

Sunrise host Samantha Armytage is set to marry her fiancé Richard Lavender, 61, in an intimate ceremony on New Year’s Eve, after a whirlwind romance which began when they met at a party in April last year.

And it seems the television star, 44, had a rather rocky road to true love before meeting the equestrian businessman, including several high-profile relationships.

Here are a few of the famous men Sam dated before finding her Prince Charming. 

HOTELIER PETER DE ANGELIS 

The Seven presenter dated playboy hotelier Peter De Angelis in 2011, after splitting from her long-term boyfriend, a builder known only as Sean. 

Despite often being pictured together at social events, Sam and Peter’s relationship was short-lived and they parted ways in 2012.

Peter only has good things to say about his former flame, however, telling reporters in 2014: ‘I wish her all the best and every success on her book [Shine].’

RUSSELL CROWE

Samantha described actor Russell Crowe as ‘very charming’ when he presented her with a mixtape of his music, after she interviewed him on Sunrise in 2013. 

But she denied a year later they were ever romantically involved. 

Responding to an article in Woman’s Day that suggested they were dating, Sam said: ‘I’m denying, I’m strenuously denying.’

However, she did admit the rumours were ‘all a bit of fun’.

ERIC STONESTREET 

Samantha got people talking when she enjoyed a lunch date with Modern Family star Eric Stonestreet back in 2014.

Calling into The Kyle and Jackie O Show in May 2015, the 48-year-old actor confirmed their date, saying: ‘I can tell you 100 per cent that… we had lunch.’

‘Is that code for something?’ host Kyle Sandilands asked. 

Eric responded: ‘It was well documented. She tweeted me and I said you organise it and I’ll be there and we had lunch.’

Eric and Sam had a five-hour lunch date at Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant in 2014, after he extended his stay in Sydney once filming wrapped on the Modern Family episode that was being shot in the city.

MICHAEL USHER  

Samantha and Channel Seven newsreader Michael Usher, 50, were the subject of dating rumours five years ago.

Their first attempt at a romance happened in 2015 when Sunrise’s Natalie Barr tried to arrange a dinner date for her two single friends.

Sydney Confidential reported the pair had been ‘flirting’ for a while before Michael decided to ask Samantha on a date again in 2017. 

They had allegedly been ‘spending time together’ in her Southern Highlands retreat in a bid to escape the spotlight in Sydney.

However they reportedly called it quits in June 2017 after a short-lived romance.

Samantha’s representatives have denied the reports, insisting they have always been just friends.

PAUL O’BRIEN 

Samantha was said to have been dating private jet tycoon Paul O’Brien ‘for several months’ in June last year, after previously breaking off their romance in late 2018.

The pair were first spotted publicly in March 2018 on a dog walking date in Sydney, and seen again in September that year while having breakfast in Melbourne.

According to Now To Love, the couple then ‘took a break’ in January 2019, before briefly reconciling but they ‘split’ again in late April 2019.

RICHARD LAVENDER 

Sam and Richard, who have been reportedly dating since last April, officially confirmed their romance in November last year.  

They attended their first public event together as a couple in early October at the Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Richard has previously admitted that he fell for Sam the very first time he laid eyes on her.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph at the Everest Carnival Fashion Lunch in Sydney in October, the millionaire businessman was not shy in admitting his feelings.

‘It was immediate. This sounds really stupid but I thought, “gee whiz, I like that girl” from the moment I first saw her,’ he said. 

Richard went on to say that he had no idea Sam was a television star, and felt comfortable with her right way.

‘I had no idea what she did or anything like that, which was probably a plus. You know when you meet someone and you feel comfortable,’ he said.

Sam told the publication the pair were ‘very lucky they met’ because they have a lot in common – especially enjoying horse racing.

‘Whether we are watching the races at home or we are at the track, we really both very much enjoy the races and everything that goes with that,’ she said.

According to News.com.au, Sam will marry Richard on New Year’s Eve on Thursday, approximately six months after getting engaged.

She will reportedly marry the equestrian businessman at his 40-hectare property in the picturesque Southern Highlands in NSW.

It will be an intimate ceremony with a ‘small number of guests’ only.

The happy couple announced their engagement back in June with an Instagram post that received almost 60,000 likes.

Posing in the arms of Richard with her ring on full display, a smiling Sam wrote: ‘What a year…’

The image appeared to have been taken at Richard’s property, which is where the pair will tie the knot on New Year’s Eve.