Fox Sports presenter Megan Barnard responds to Tom Morris’s ‘degrading’ comments

Sports broadcaster Megan Barnard has responded to "degrading" comments made about her by former colleague Tom Morris, saying she has been overwhelmed by support but that coming out "should never be taken out of someone's hands".

The Fox Sports presenter's personal life was thrust into the public sphere last Thursday after the leaking of WhatsApp audio that allegedly contained sexist and homophobic slurs.

On Friday Fox Sports sacked Morris over the "unacceptable" remarks, which were widely shared on social media. Morris subsequently apologised on Twitter for his behaviour, which he called "disgusting and disgraceful".

The incident sparked a wave of support for Barnard from the media and public, along with key sporting figures including AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan.

"I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support I have received over the past few days in response to the comments about me in the media," Barnard, who is currently in New Zealand anchoring coverage of the ICC Women's World Cup, wrote on Instagram. "To everyone who has reached out, thank you.

"Fortunately, I am at a place in my life where I am comfortable with who I am and I can handle something deeply personal becoming public. But had this happened as recently as a few years ago, it would not have been the case.

"Coming out is a process and should never be taken out of someone's hands. Nor should anyone be spoken about in such a degrading manner. I hope my experience can be a catalyst for change in not just the sports industry, but in every industry."