Samantha Armytage FINALLY returns to Sunrise after taking more than a month off work to fight a ‘respiratory infection’
It was business as usual for Samantha Armytage on Monday morning.
The 43-year-old journalist returned to Sunrise after taking six weeks off to recover from a ‘respiratory infection’ at her $2.2million estate in Bowral, NSW.
During Sam absence, newsreader Natalie Barr had filled in for her alongside co-host David Koch, bringing Australians the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic.
She’s back! Samantha Armytage (left) returned to Sunrise on Monday alongside David Koch (right) after taking six weeks off work to recover from a ‘respiratory infection’ at home
Samantha looked delighted to be broadcasting live from Brekky Central in Sydney’s Martin Place.
The co-anchors observed social distancing at the news desk, sitting 1.5 metres apart.
Samantha had told her Instagram followers on Sunday that she would be back on air the following morning as she left her country estate and returned to the city.
‘Thank you all you lovely people for your (thousands of) lovely messages asking when I was coming back to work… I’m back tomorrow,’ she wrote.
‘Back tomorrow’: The journalist, 43, had told her Instagram followers on Sunday she would be back on air the following morning as she left her Bowral estate and returned to Sydney
Temporary replacement: During Sam absence, newsreader Natalie Barr (left) had filled in for her alongside co-host David Koch, bringing Australians the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic
Samantha’s last appearance on the show was on March 13.
She had previously taken a leave of absence on February 26, citing an ongoing ‘respiratory illness’, before returning for a brief stint on March 3.
The breakfast TV star announced she would be taking more leave on March 17.
‘Hi all… I’m taking a few weeks off work as I’ve had a respiratory infection (for three months) since the bushfires and it just won’t heal,’ she wrote on Instagram at the time.
Coming back: Earlier this month Samantha told Daily Mail Australia she ‘hoped to be back on air soon’. Pictured with her colleagues Sam Mac (centre) and David Koch (right)
‘I don’t have coronavirus, but I’m worried I’ll get it if I don’t get better. Thought it was a good time to lay low,’ she added.
Earlier this month Samantha told Daily Mail Australia she ‘hoped to be back on air soon’.
In a column for Stellar magazine on April 12, Samantha revealed she had been using her time at home to ‘ponder’ the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
On and off: Samantha’s last appearance on Sunrise was on March 13. She had previously taken a leave of absence on February 26, citing an ongoing ‘respiratory illness’, before returning for a brief stint on March 3
‘Like everyone right now, my emotions range from anger to disbelief to awe,’ she wrote.
‘I’ve pondered how to punish powerful, dishonest countries when they blatantly do the wrong thing. Who hands out the punishment?
And speaking of who, will we ever trust the World Health Organization again?’
Doing some thinking: In a column for Stellar magazine on April 12, Samantha revealed she had been using her time at home to ‘ponder’ the global response to the coronavirus pandemic