While hosting the Today show in place of Sarah Abo, Samantha Armytage playfully alluded to the well-known on-air blunder involving Danika Mason.
The experienced TV host, age 49, started appearing on the morning breakfast show on Monday, filling in while another presenter is on maternity leave. She quickly brought her signature wit and humor to the broadcast.
While weather reporter Tim Davies was reporting live from Mount Buller in Victoria, Samantha was joined at the desk by Michael Willesee Jr.
Davies interviewed someone from the ski resort about how they make snow.
The visitor playfully compared the snow-making equipment to ‘margarita machines,’ and mentioned guests were even able to bring some of the snow home with them.
Once the live broadcast was over and they were back in the studio, Willesee Jr. began to wonder if the equipment used on air could be adapted to create the famous drink.
‘It looks beautiful. I wonder if it actually would work as a margarita machine,’ he mused.
Armytage immediately turned the conversation towards sports presenter Mason.
‘The snowmaker? Yeah, I don’t know. Ask Danika,’ she quipped.
‘Danika, how does it work? Too soon?’
The TV host quickly changed her mind after making a lighthearted comment, and stopped speaking mid-sentence.
‘No. But she’s an expectant mother,’ Armytage added, prompting Mason to laugh off the remark.
The joke seemed to be about Mason’s memorable moment from the 2026 Winter Olympics, when she had trouble speaking and went off on a tangent during a live broadcast.
Mason later apologized to viewers, explaining she had been drinking before going on air. She said the cold weather, high altitude, and skipping dinner made the alcohol’s effects stronger.
She admitted she made a mistake and shouldn’t have been drinking. She explained that her behavior didn’t reflect the professional image she aims to maintain, and she fully accepted responsibility for what happened.
Mason acknowledged that dealing with the aftermath was very challenging, and she initially worried about how things would turn out.
Ugh, thinking about it now still makes me cringe! I instantly knew I’d totally messed up – honestly, the next twenty-four hours were a complete disaster. All I could do was imagine every possible horrible outcome. It was awful!
‘I was thinking this is my job gone, this is this gone.’
She said getting messages and support from people within the rugby league world really helped her get back on her feet after a difficult time.
‘The rugby league community that was calling me was insane, she said.
I’ll never forget when Joey – Andrew Johns – called. He mentioned that even his wife, Kate, had laughed at something, and I just cringed, thinking ‘Oh no!’
‘He was an incredible support, he kept on FaceTiming me and checking in.
I was talking to Liam on the phone while he was in England. I told him not to watch something, but then I received another call.
I told them to hold on a moment, promising to call back in four minutes. After ending my current call, I immediately called them back, and they said the timing was perfect – they had just finished up as well.
She also thanked her co-host, Karl Stefanovic, for his support during a difficult time. He called her to help her think through the situation and asked what her plans were.
You know, I realized a sincere apology was the right thing to do, so I told him as much – that I was going to own up to my mistake and acknowledge I shouldn’t have underestimated anyone. His response? Total acceptance! He basically said they’d be supportive and ready to hear me out, which really meant a lot.
The Channel Nine sports presenter recently revealed she’s expecting a baby girl with her partner, Liam Knight, in December.
When the couple announced they were expecting, Armytage offered her congratulations, calling the news “wonderful.”
Ally Langdon is back on breakfast television, temporarily replacing Karl Stefanovic who is on paternity leave.
2026-07-27 04:51