Sam Armytage opens up on turning 40.

The Sunrise co-host, who reaches the milestone birthday on September 4, revealed in the September issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly she initially planned to let it pass by quietly, but reconsidered, and is now going to celebrate in Europe with 10 close friends.

“Of course, you sit back and go, ‘If my life is half done, am I happy with what’s gone on so far?’ — and (the answer is) yes, very,” said Sam.

“I feel very calm and strong and quite in my power — I feel like I’m much less tolerant of time-wasters, manipulators and big egos ... I don’t waste time on things that don’t matter to me.”

It’s no surprise Armytage has developed this attitude, given that she’s handled her fair share of criticism since being thrust into the spotlight in 2013, replacing popular presenter Melissa Doyle on Sunrise.

Nothing could have prepared her for the backlash, but she refused to let it get to her.

“I earned this job fair and square,” said Armytage, who grew up in the NSW Snowy Mountains and working in regional TV and as a political reporter before landing the coveted Sunrise job.

“I’m not going to apologise for taking the job. If people have a problem with that inside or outside the network, they need to take it up with the male executives who handed me the job. I’ve worked hard my whole career and this is my path.”

Sam and Sunrise co-host David Koch on set.Source:News Limited

In the three years since she took on the role, she appears to have weathered most of that storm, though she admits her working environment is not for the faint-hearted.

“Newsrooms are not places for sissies,” Armytage said, “I give cheek on-air, I’m opinionated, and as soon as you do that, you make yourself a target, so I can’t have a go at people on-air and then cry when people have a go at me.”

And people certainly didn’t shy away from ‘having a go’ last year after a racist gaffe during a Sunrise interview with British twins who look nothing alike.

“The Aylmer twins come from a mixed race family in the UK,” Armytage said in the segment.

“Maria has taken after her half-Jamaican mum with dark skin, brown eyes and curly, dark hair but Lucy got her dad’s fair skin — good on her — along with straight red hair and blue eyes.”

She explained later that it was a self-deprecating dig at her own fair Irish complexion, but it was too late: the clip went viral and she was mercilessly trolled, even receiving death threats.

“I thought about quitting for a split second and then I thought, absolutely not — I’m not going to let the haters win, I’m not going to let the bastards win,” she said.

Sam’s certainly copped her fair share of criticism.Source:Getty Images

The presenter also opened up about her dating life, confirming she is not dating anyone seriously at the moment, despite being romantically linked to everyone from Russell Crowe to Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet.

She admitted she often ponders her single status, and questions her past decisions.

“I think on occasion I’ve made bad judgments, wasted time,” she revealed. “I don’t for one minute, ever blame my career because my career has actually never been that much of a priority ... maybe it’s timing.”