Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Samantha Armytage appeared to be in jovial spirits as she did some essential Christmas shopping on Thursday.The new Today Show stand-in host, 48, appeared to be getting ready to celebrate Christmas with her loved ones after splitting from her husband Richard Lavender.She flashed a huge smile as she bought a box of French champagne Louis Auger, which retails from $46.99 per bottle, ahead of the festive season.Samantha, who is newly-single after her and Richard’s separation, looked effortlessly stylish in a smart blue shirt and black wide-leg trousers.She kept comfortable in a pair of white sling-back sandals and shielded her eyes with dark black shades while running her errands.The former Channel Seven star appeared to be in excellent form as she beamed from ear-to-ear while taking her shopping back to her car. Samantha Armytage appeared to be in jovial spirits as she did some essential Christmas shopping on Thursday The new Today Show stand-in host, 48, appeared to be getting ready to celebrate Christmas with her loved ones after splitting from her husband Richard LavenderSamantha was also seen taking a call at one point and flashed a huge smile as she chatted away to somebody on the phone.It is not known how Samantha will be celebrating the Christmas period but she will no doubt be catching up with her family and friends.It will mark her first Christmas since her separation from equestrian businessman Richard, 61, on the eve of their fourth wedding anniversary.Samantha started dating Richard in April 2019, and they announced their engagement in June 2020.The couple then tied the knot at his 40-hectare property in the picturesque Southern Highlands in NSW on New Year’s Eve of that same year.But earlier this month, sources revealed their split exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, with Samantha then confirming that they had ‘amicably’ gone their separate ways.’Yes Richard and I have separated. All breakups are hard, but it’s somewhat lessened by the fact it’s amicable and we wish the best for each other,’ Samantha told the media.’I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I won’t be making any further comment.’ She flashed a huge smile as she bought a box of French champagne Louis Auger, which retails from $46.99 per bottle, ready for the festive season Samantha, who is newly-single after her and Richard’s separation, looked effortlessly stylish in a smart blue shirt and black wide-leg trousers Samantha flashed a huge smile as she chatted away to someone on the phone while leaving the shops She kept comfortable in a pair of white sling-back sandals and shielded her eyes with dark black shades while running her errands The former Channel Seven star appeared to be in excellent form as she beamed from ear-to-ear while taking her shopping back to her carIt is understood that Samantha’s television presenter friends had been comforting the star behind the scenes for some time.Samantha and Richard had been last sighted together on September 5, when they arrived back at Sydney Airport following a trip to Noosa together.Samantha is no longer followed on Instagram by Richard’s two daughters, Sascha and Grace, although the former couple still follow each other.It has been a huge period of change for Samantha as she also quit Channel Seven after 21 years with the network earlier this year.The ex Farmer Wants A Wife host then made the sensational move to rival network Nine and she has already made her on-screen debut on the channel.On Monday, Samantha joined the Today Show as a summer stand-in host and made quite the impression on viewers during her first episode.The veteran presenter kicked off the show by sharing a flirty exchange with her co-host Dan Anstey. After introducing herself to viewers, Sam recalled first meeting Dan at the Melbourne Cup. Samantha carried her essentials in a cream handbag as she flashed a smile while running pre-Christmas errands She got ready for the holiday period as she loaded boxes of champagne into her car ahead of the celebrations Samantha showed off her stunning features with a glamorous make-up palette, including a matte slick of pink lipstick She spared no expense on her Christmas purchases as she also loaded another bag of shopping into her car It is not known how Samantha will be celebrating the Christmas period but she will no doubt be catching up with her family and friends’I can’t remember that. How was I?’ he asked.’You were handsome as always,’ a giggling Sam responded, before Dan said: ‘That was someone else. You confused me with another Dan.”Yeah I have actually. We’ll get to that later on but it’s lovely to see you all here,’ Sam quickly responded before she introduced the news headlines.Viewers have already called for Samantha and Dan to permanently replace Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo on the show as they praised the duo for their upbeat and personable presenting styles.While Nine have insisted Samantha’s Today role is purely seasonal, speculation is rife that it could be a trial run to see if she is the right fit to join Today permanently.Nine was reportedly plunged into back-to-back crisis meetings following the decision to bring Samantha on to the Today show.The move also sparked outrage among long-time staff, with insiders alleging the decision created tension behind the scenes and left many feeling snubbed.’There have been crisis meetings back-to-back since Sam was signed,’ a source told Woman’s Day earlier this month. It will mark her first Christmas since her separation from equestrian businessman Richard (both pictured in October 2021), 61, on the eve of their fourth wedding anniversary ‘The big bosses did not listen to the team when they objected to Sam coming on board.’ Meanwhile, a well-placed source told Daily Mail Australia that Nine has a strategic reasoning behind Samantha’s appointment.’Let’s not pretend this isn’t about ratings,’ they said. ‘If Sam manages to pull Today out of the shadow of Sunrise, even for a week, the network will see it as a win. For Sam, it’s about proving she’s still the queen of breakfast TV.’One major source of resentment at her new network is the perception that Nine’s existing talent has been overlooked.
