Armytage in public spat with journalist
Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage has engaged in a public spat with a female journalist she's accused of "bullying" her about her weight and style.
Armytage posted a comment on Twitter along with the hashtag coward, in response to an article that appeared in Sydney's Daily Telegraph on Friday.
The article, written by journalist Annette Sharpe, started with comments about the alleged failure of Armytage's Seven Network's series Bringing Sexy Back.
But it went on to talk about how Armytage underwent a "transformation" to become David Koch's Sunrise offsider and is groomed by a team of stylists to appear on the high-rating breakfast show.
The story ran alongside a number of photos of the TV presenter out and about "when the television cameras aren't rolling and the stylists aren't styling".
Armytage described the article as "cowardly and mean" on air on Friday.
"I don't understand this shaming. I don't know whether it's trying to bully me into an eating disorder," she said.
"The story is an excuse to cast an eye over my style when I'm not at work. They've pulled together paparazzi photographs taken many years ago."
She also took to Twitter in response to what she perceived as a personal attack.
"Wow. A newspaper bullying a woman about her weight - I thought those days were gone! And again, no one seems to have written it coward" the 37-year-old wrote.
Sharp then tweeted Armytage to deny she'd called her fat, before upping the ante on her own page.
"Hands up if u think sam-armytage is being a bit hysterical today? The issues here are a) a dud TV show & 2) STYLE" Sharp wrote in one of multiple tweets on the issue.
Armytage has received support on Twitter, including from Mel Greig, the former 2Day FM radio DJ involved in the royal London hospital prank call to nurse Jacintha Saldanha.
"sam-armytage you are incredibly beautiful and have handled this with such grace and decorum. Teenage girls can learn a lot from you xx" Greig tweeted.
TV presenter and model Jesinta Campbell added her two cents, telling Armytage not to "let the haters get you down".
"sam-armytage This makes me so sad Sam! In a day where we should be lifting women up & focusing on more than what a women is wearing this."
Sharpe's article comes a day after Armytage was chipped about making a "sexist comment" in regards to the surgeon who took a selfie of the late Joan Rivers while the comedian was undergoing surgery.
