Face of Nation : The feud between MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis and Sunrise is showing no signs of stopping.
Despite Martha continuing to claim she never elbowed David Koch on the Logies red carpet, Samantha Armytage has stood by her co-host’s story during a radio appearance today.
“No, it happened,” a laughing Armytage told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa after being grilled about whether there had been “icing on the cake” added by Sunrise about the incident.
“I won’t throw any shade at Martha, but let’s not give it anymore oxygen because the 15 minutes is going on and on,” Armytage quipped.
“Have you ever been on those red carpets? They’re pushy. Have you ever been on those red carpets with a reality star … it’s very pushy.”
Meanwhile, the controversial TV bride claims Koch is treating her like she’s “beneath him” by not apologising over elbow-gate.
“Kochie refused to apologise for lying about the elbowing incident. He just thinks I don’t deserve an apology,” Martha said in an emotional YouTube video.
“It’s at the expense of my wellbeing and it’s not fair,” she added.
In a video titled “My Final Say to Kochie and Sunrise”, Martha accused the Sunrise co-host of ridiculing her.
“He just thinks that because I was on a reality TV show and am a reality TV star that I don’t deserve to get an apology for him. Perhaps that I’m beneath him,” she said.
“I’m a person and I have feelings and Sam and Koch have caused me so much stress and anxiety these past few days and I just feel like it’s so unnecessary, like for what, for ratings?”
“They’ve continued to mock me every morning on their show and I just feel like that goes to show you that they’re no better than the thousands of trolling messages I’ve received over the last few months.”
Martha added that she had taken the scandal to heart because she was “falsely accused of assaulting two grown men”.
Earlier this week, Martha denied claims she intentionally elbowed Koch at the Logies, accusing the Sunrise hosts of “bullying” her.
She responded to allegations made by Koch and Armytage about her red carpet conduct.
It all started on Monday. During Sunrise’s post-Logies broadcast, Koch accused Martha of physically elbowing him on the red carpet.
“I’ve still got bruises in the ribs from the Married At First Sight woman who elbowed me on the way through,” Koch said on Seven.
And it didn’t stop there. Sunrise newsreader Natalie Barr asked for clarification: “The one with the dark hair?”
“Someone is saying Martha in my ear. I could not pick her out of a line-up. But my god, she got you in the ribs,” Armytage added, to which Barr replied, “She had attitude”.
The exchange over the former MAFS star continued when Sunrise sports presenter Mark Beretta warned, “Do not get between Martha and the camera.”
Then Armytage delivered the real zinger: “Especially when you’ve only got 15 minutes of fame,” to which the Sunrise panel gasped and erupted in laughter.
Armytage retaliated at her take-down: “Stop looking at me like that today! You are having a crack at her and when I have a crack!”
It came as Martha had earlier told News Corp Australia she was trying to change her public image.
“I have a bit of a bad reputation so we are trying to fix that,” Kalifatidis had said on the red carpet at the Logies.
“I probably have the bad rep because I sauced a girl on national TV, among other things.
“I know exactly what I’ve done wrong.
“People need to see who the real me is. No one knows who I am and what I am really like and I am excited for people to get to know me.”
