'I was hesitant': Gillard admits she fed Rudd 'false hope' before deposing him

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said she regrets giving predecessor Kevin Rudd "false hope" before deposing him.

Ms Gillard, speaking to Ray Martin in an exclusive interview for Channel Nine which will air on Tuesday night, said she had originally told Mr Rudd he would have more time to improve the government's popularity.

Watch the full interview from 7pm on Tuesday night on Channel Nine.

"If anything, the reputation I have from that night is one of political brutality," she said.

"Actually, in the moment I was hesitant, a conversation went too long, I certainly fed (him) hope."

She admitted she would rather have done things differently.

However, she blamed Mr Rudd for his "destabilising" influence on the Labor party, which she said led to a Coalition victory in the 2013 election.

She said she would have been able to beat then-opposition leader and current Prime Minister Tony Abbott, if she had received genuine support from Mr Rudd and his allies.

Broadcaster Alan Jones' infamous comment that Ms Gillard's father John  "died of shame" is also discussed in the interview.

She described Mr Jones' attack as cruel and unforgivable.

Read about Ray Martin's favourite interviews and his impression of Ms Gillard here.