“We’d been picking weeds in the paddock and he said, ‘Darling, do you want to marry me?’” she said. “It was very sweet, very romantic. He’s just a very charming, lovely fellow.”
Later she added, “we’re all thrilled, our families are the happiest, they’re so excited. Mum burst into tears!”
The couple were introduced in the country by a mutual friend around Easter 2019. Lavender lives on a 40-hectare property in Bowral, where Armytage owns a five-bedroom retreat.
“His eyes were the first thing I saw,” Armytage told WHO exclusively in November when the pair first went public with their love, adding “there was a connection” between them from the jump.
“We both enjoy horses, skiing, architecture, art. That’s really important to have a lot in common.”
Away from “the media circus”, former farmer and horse breeder Lavender, 60, “is really comfortable in his own skin,” says Armytage.
“He doesn’t care what people think of him, which I admire greatly. He’s very decent, very honest. I love that he’s so modest.”
From Lavender’s point of view, Armytage, 43, “had a sparkle in her eye”, he told WHO of his initial attraction.
“She has a quick wit, a terrific sense of humour.”
Lavender has two adult daughters, Sasha and Grace, from his previous marriage. In 2017, Armytage said she “has never made any secret” of wanting to be a mum.
“It would be nice but if it doesn’t happen, then c’est la vie,” she said. “And if it does, it would be lovely.”
For now, she’s loved up with Lavender and her labrador Banjo.
“We’re excited; he’s totally the opposite of the showbiz world and … he’s just a wonderful man,” Armytage told co-host Koch. “And no, we’re not getting married on television.”