Alison Mau has opened up about being outed as bisexual by the media

Alison Mau says media coverage of her relationship with Karleen Edmonds was 'awful'.

Alison Mau has discussed for the first time how she was hounded by the media over her split with Simon Dallow and same-sex relationship.

"I wasn't given that opportunity to process it myself because I was outed by Woman's Day and the Herald on Sunday," Mau told Anika Moa during an interview that aired on Maori Television.

"It was awful. It's a wee while ago now, and it's faded a bit, but ..."

Mau and Dallow were one of television's most high-profile couples thanks to their roles presenting One News on weekends between 1999-2003.

Alison Mau and Simon Dallow were married from 1996 to 2009.

After having two children together, they divorced in 2009 and in 2010 Mau admitted she was bisexual when she introduced her girlfriend Karleen Edmonds to the audience at a fundraising event.

"I have fallen in love with a wonderful woman and it was just so unexpected," she was reported to have said at the time.

Media coverage of Mau's same-sex relationship was condemned by Gaynz.com.

"It is an intensely private and personal thing," content editor Jay Bennie told Newshub. "It's been taken out of her hands - it's disgraceful.

"Coming out is an intense process, it is often a difficult and soul-searching process - it's not to be used for public titillation. A person needs to have control over it."

Watch excerpts from the full interview below:

* Anika Moa's All Talk screens on Maori Television on Thursdays at 9.30pm.