Seven hits back at Sam Armytage over 'untrue' Nat Barr claims

Channel Seven has weighed in on the war of words between new Sunrise host Nat Barr and former network star Samantha Armytage, who last Monday raised eyebrows by claiming that her successor "wanted the job forever".

Sam, who sensationally quit the top-rating breakfast show to live a quiet country life in March, made the comments on Twitter after being quizzed about her relationship with Nat on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

"Nat's wanted the job, forever.. & she's finally got it. She just needs to get on & enjoy it - & forget about me," the 44-year-old tweeted on June 21.

Now, an inside source at Seven has said that Sam's accusations about her replacement Nat are 'untrue,' and that they 'went down like a lead balloon' with her ex-employer.

"When she left Sunrise, Sam said she wanted to get away from the attention. But the only one creating the attention around her is Sam," the source told The Australian.

"And her accusation that Nat wanted the job 'forever' is so untrue. She never did," they added.

RELATED:

• Sunrise’s Nat Barr on ‘the truth’ about relationship with Sam Armytage

• Why Sunrise host Kochie skipped Sam Armytage's farewell lunch

• Sam Armytage takes aim at Sunrise host Nat Barr: 'Forget me'

'Different lives'

Earlier in June, Natalie opened up about her relationship with Sam during an interview with Australian Women's Weekly, where she addressed rumours of a rift between the two.

"The truth is we didn't really see each other outside the office," she explained. "We had vastly different lives, I guess."

"We were in different places. She was hanging with her friends, and I was spending time with my family. So, yes, we were in different places."

A few days later, Sam was pushed to respond to Nat's comments during a chat with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson.

"[Nat] did an interview where she said you guys weren't that close because you didn't have a lot in common and that you wouldn't really talk when the cameras were off," Jackie O stated.

In reply, Sam took a thinly-veiled swipe at her former colleagues, adding, "I thought everyone might forget about me when I was having my little sabbatical, but it seems they're not, you know?"

Following the radio interview, Sam took to Twitter to elaborate on what she said on-air and instruct Nat to 'get on and enjoy' her hosting role on Sunrise.

"Look... I'm out. Nat's wanted the job, forever.. & she's finally got it.

"She just needs to get on & enjoy it - & forget about me..(even though I'm unforgettable.) #peaceout."

Adding fuel to the rift rumours, neither Nat nor her co-host David 'Kochie' Koch attended Sam's farewell lunch on her final day, with Kochie later admitting that the pair "didn't know about it".

Additional reporting by Marni Dixit.

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