Samantha Armytage and Michael Willesee Jr have failed to keep the Today audience happy this week as viewers have brutally criticised the pairing online.The veteran TV star, 49, has been filling in as presenter this week alongside Allison Langdon’s husband, 56, as Nine plays musical chairs with the anchor seats following the exit of Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo’s early maternity leave.But some viewers aren’t impressed with this week’s duo, as they take to social media to slam Sam as ‘unbearable’ and criticise Michael for being too ‘awkward’ – and it would seem the ratings agree. Preliminary numbers on Monday morning revealed Sam’s first morning on Today did little to slow Seven’s dominance, pulling in only 45,000 viewers compared to Sunrise’s 54,000. By 8am, Seven stayed ahead with a whopping 78,000 while Nine simmered at 48,000.’I would rather watch a tree than have Sam presenting Today! Now to find a new morning show to watch,’ one person wrote of Today. Samantha Armytage, 49, and Michael Willesee Jr, 56, have failed to keep the Today audience happy this week as viewers have brutally criticised the pairing online’Today show I’m sorry is an absolute snooze fest since Karl and Sarah left. You need to rebrand to “go back to sleep with today” not “wake up with today”,’ said another. ‘Mike is awful. Stilted. Bland. Awkward. They need to replace him with someone else,’ a third noted. ‘God Sam is making watching today unbearable now. I hate Sunrise so looks like I’m going to the ABC. Used to love waking up watching today but now it’s just so cringe,’ one user fumed.’Sorry but how long is the host gonna be on for? I know he’s someone’s famous son but he’s no good,’ someone else said of Michael. Yet another viewer said Nine was ‘scraping the bottom of the barrel’ with Sam, while another said the network ‘obviously doesn’t give a rat’s what their viewers think’. ‘I find him hard to hear [or] understand in the unscripted moments,’ one user said of Michael, while someone else agreed he was ‘very good at mumbling his words’. However, plenty of viewers seemed interested in seeing Sam’s return, with a ratings spike compared to last Monday’s Today show numbers.Several also praised Sam for keeping the energy high on the breakfast program.Join the discussionWhat do you think is driving the decline in Today show’s popularity? Is it the hosts or something deeper?What’s your view? The veteran TV star has been filling in as presenter this week alongside Allison Langdon’s husband as Nine plays musical chairs with the anchor seats following the exit of Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo’s early maternity leave’So wonderful seeing Sam she’s such a better fit than Sarah much more polished and I genuinely think she will lift Today’s ratings,’ one fan wrote. ‘Sam Armytage is brilliant, she is so captivating to watch! I really hope she stays!’ added another.’I’m really enjoying Samantha Armytage. She seems so relaxed. Now, please find someone who matches her energy. Why not have Sarah and Samantha?’ a third noted. It comes after Sam was left red-faced after her phone alarm went off live on air during her first day back hosting the Today show on Monday morning.The show opened with a series of news bulletins, before cutting back to the panel where Sam could be seen hurriedly swiping on her phone to switch off the alarm.’Good morning! Happy Monday. It’s all happening – my alarm just went off on my phone because this is the time I normally get up,’ she laughed.Michael, meanwhile, joked: ‘Her alarm, right on the start time of the show. Just to remind Sam that she had to be on the show this morning.’Sam is of course no stranger to early wake-ups, having previously helmed Seven’s Sunrise for eight years. But some viewers aren’t impressed with this week’s duo, as they take to social media to slam Sam as ‘unbearable’ and criticise Michael for being too ‘awkward’ – and it would seem the ratings agree Meanwhile, plenty of others appeared to praise Sam for keeping the energy high on the breakfast programThe day before her hosting duties, Sam uploaded an Instagram Story begging her fans to tune into the Today show on her first day – even offering a prize to the person who sent her a photo watching the show from the most interesting spot. ‘Tomorrow morning, I’m gonna be sliding into that Today show co-hosting chair for a fill-in,’ she began her video.’I hope, if you can, you might turn your telly on and have a look, because the thing about, doing, well, listen, the kookaburras are laughing at my jokes.”The thing about doing this thing, if no-one’s watching, it really is a complete waste of makeup… so I hope we see you in the morning,’ she continued. She noted a few of her followers were ‘messaging me to say, which channel, which does not bode well. It’s Channel Nine!’The Today show has been struggling in the ratings since Karl Stefanovic’s departure last month, with viewers abandoning the show in growing numbers.The once-dominant program now finds itself marooned in second place behind Seven’s seemingly unstoppable Sunrise, with the ratings gap widening dramatically.As of last month, Sunrise was pulling in 456,000 viewers nationally – more than double the Today show’s audience of 226,000 viewers.