AFTER years of personal struggle, Olympic hero Ian Thorpe has bravely revealed he is gay.

The 31-year-old confirms his sexuality for the first time Sunday in an exclusive interview on Channel 10, telling all to veteran British interviewer Sir Michael Parkinson.

It’s understood the interview, which Parkinson has described as one of the best he has ever conducted, includes a full admission from Thorpe that he is gay despite having dated women in the past.

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In the emotional sit-down shot last month, Thorpe also details the years of depression he has battled while denying his sexuality from the world. Part of that concealment included his own autobiography This Is Me, published in 2012, in which Thorpe wrote that he found questions about his sexuality hurtful.

media_camera Friends close to Thorpe said his family has played a much bigger role in his life recently. Picture: Tom Jenkins

media_camera Sir Michael Parkinson interviews Australian Olympic champion Ian Thorpe on Channel 10 on Sunday night

It followed more than a decade of denials — the first of which came just as his career skyrocketed at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, when he was just 15.

“The thing that I find hurtful about it is that people are questioning my integrity and what I say. That’s the only part I find hurtful, that this is something I would be embarrassed about and that I would hide,” Thorpe wrote in his book.

In 2011, Thorpe told London’s The Sunday Times newspaper of his ­frustrations.

media_camera Ian Thorpe, with parents Margaret and Ken, shows off the gold medal he won in men's 4x200 relay final at the World Championships in Perth in 1998

“I don’t think anybody has a right to write about (my private life), but I don’t care enough about it to be bothered. If you try and fight it, you’re damned; if you don’t, you’re damned.”

Channel 10’s news and current affairs boss Peter Meakin last night refused to confirm Thorpe’s stunning revelation regarding his sexuality, saying only that the interview was “terrific”.

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Parkinson said he thought the interview was “one of the best” he had ever done.

“I think his sexuality is no one’s business but his own. But I think it’s one of the best interviews I have ever done in terms of (Thorpe) talking about depression and things like that,” he said.

media_camera Relaxed: Michael Parkinson and swimmer Ian Thorpe at Wimbledon earlier this month

Gold medal-winning diver Matthew Mitcham, who also has revealed he is gay, said last night he hoped Australians supported Thorpe. “I can totally understand how difficult this whole process has been for him,” Mitcham said.

“I really hope this process gives him some peace and that the media and the public give him the same respect and the same overwhelming support I received in 2008. The Australian public and media have a really wonderful opportunity to set an example for kids who are in Ian’s position.”

It’s not known exactly what has sparked the change of heart from the former swimmer, ­however

media_camera Ian Thorpe wins the 200m freestyle gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games

Thorpe has recently emerged from a lengthy stay in a rehabilitation facility, having endured very public battles with prescription drugs and alcohol.

The $500,000 deal, brokered by Parkinson’s and Thorpe’s joint manager James Erskine, gives Thorpe $400,000, which also covers his commentary for the Commonwealth Games, and $100,000 to Parkinson, which includes production costs for the tell-all.

Friends close to Thorpe have noted that in the past months his family has played a much bigger part in his life, following several years of him living in the United Arab Emirates. Returning home to Sydney towards the end of last year, Thorpe has been increasingly supported by his parents Margaret and Ken, who have been active in their son’s recovery.

media_camera Champion! Ian Thorpe celebrates 200m freestyle gold in Athens media_camera The Comeback: Ian Thorpe at the Pan Pacific Hotel in November 2011

Earlier this year his father spoke of his son’s battles, revealing in February Thorpe was “having a tough time”. “But hopefully in six months time he will be out the other side”.

His sister Christina — with whom he is famously close — has also been a source of strength and acceptance. Thorpe is among a growing list of international athletes who have come out publicly, including UK Olympic diver Tom Daley, NBA player Jason Collins and NFL star Michael Sam.

Interview airs on Channel 10 from 6pm tonight.