Sunrise host Samantha Armytage was just trying to take her dog for a run in the park when she spotted something… unusual.
A photographer, nay a paparazzo, hiding in a nearby tree attempting to snap a picture of, well, we’re not exactly sure what he was trying to snap a picture of.
It’s hard to guess what the headline would be for a picture of Armytage, 41, walking her dog. ‘Sunrise host gives her dog regular exercise’? ‘Armytage is actual real human who has a life outside of the television’?
Not happy with being stalked and spied on by a photographer when she was just doing a completely normal thing, Sam snapped a picture of her own… and shared it with her 188,000 followers on Instagram.
“There’s a paparazzi in the tree at the dog park,” she wrote, circling the exact spot the sneaky snapper was hiding.
“And I’m not even the news this week.”
Just an hour later, it appeared the photographer knew he had been caught out. Instead of heading home because he wouldn’t be getting any ~~exclusive~~ snaps, he realised he’d been exposed and decided he might as well just come on out into the open.
Yep. That’s him. Just snapping away in the wide, open space of the park.
It’s not the first time paparazzi have harassed our favourite Aussie celebs – in April, when Today host Sylvia Jeffreys and Channel 9 reporter Peter Stefanovic tied the knot, a photographer was so intent on capturing the perfect shot they drove straight into a dam.
“Shout out to the determined pap who was this keen to crash our wedding (no pun intended),” she captioned the picture on Instagram.
“Not sure how you managed to drive into a dam…but hope you’ve dried out.”
Other famous faces opened up to Mamamia about the realities of trying to live a normal life while having their every move watched and photographed by those trying to make a quick buck.
"Anytime I'm out in public, I am paranoid, anxious and cautious of everything I do just in case there is a pap lurking in the bushes, following me in their car or camping outside my house," former Bachelorette Sam Frost told Mamamia.
"I'm not free to be myself anymore, which is heartbreaking for my family and friends to witness."
TV presenter and mother-of-four Bec Judd compared being followed by paparazzi to being "stalked".
"They wait outside my house and follow my car. When I see them in my rear view mirror as I pull out of my driveway I feel a sense of dread and panic," she said.
"No matter how often I am followed, I still can't get used to it and this feeling feels like a fight or flight reaction.
"Some of the more aggressive paps drive like maniacs so they don't lose contact with me out on the road. They run red lights, cut across traffic and almost cause accidents.
"To almost kill someone out on the roads for the sake of a $200 pay-day is ridiculous."
It's time we applaud celebs like Samantha Armytage for taking a stand and fighting back against those who try to make mountains over life's littlest moments.
LISTEN: Mamamia Out Loud expose the truth on how paparazzi photos actually work.
Top Comments
How does she know he was paparazzi? People take photos for all kinds of reasons.
You wanted fame... and the modern consumer for some reason loves this rubbish... I get it Sam, I personally think it's great you have a dog but the media only has it's self to blame.. the old saying goes can't have your cake and eat it too...