VICTORIA Cross recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith has accepted apologies from presenters of the Ten Network program The Circle after he was referred to as brainless and a "dud root".

Corporal Roberts-Smith today said he was initially a little surprised at the comments but understood they were not meant to be malicious.

He had read statements from presenters Yumi Stynes and George Negus, and both had since contacted him to apologise for any offence.

"I would like to thank the Australian public and Australian Defence Force personnel for their overwhelming support - my wife and I were extremely touched by the outpouring of support and concern," Corporal Roberts-Smith said in a statement.

"I have now put this matter behind me so I can focus on serving my country."

Defence Minister Stephen Smith said such comments, directed at anyone, were reprehensible.

"Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith has received the appropriate apologies, as he should have. He has accepted them, which is the measure of the man and his family," he said.

Labor parliamentary secretary for defence David Feeney noted the corporal was the recipient of Australia's highest award for gallantry.

"These people are not an appropriate target for the sort of conversation that we saw on that program," he said.

Corporal Roberts-Smith was awarded the VC for braving machine-gun fire to attack an enemy position in Afghanistan in 2010. He is only the second Australian VC recipient since the Vietnam war.

The offending remarks followed his appearance on the Seven Network on Sunday when he admitted his twin daughters were conceived by IVF treatment.

Viewing a photo of the Corporal Roberts-Smith standing up to his hips in a swimming pool, Ms Stynes remarked: "He's going to dive down to the bottom of the pool to see if his brain is there."

Mr Negus then quipped: "I'm sure he's a really good guy. Nothing about poor old Ben, but that sort of bloke ... and what if they're not up to it in the sack?"

That prompted a query from another panellist: "Are you intimating, George Negus, that he could be a dud root?"

From the video, it's unclear who made the offending comment, although it sparked much laughter.

But viewers were outraged and the program's Facebook page was deluged with criticism.

"YOU DISGUSTING human being Yumi, how dare you say what you did about an Aussie HERO. HOW DARE YOU," one viewer wrote.

"Worthless media grubs. Wake up to yourselves, you do nothing but talk crap in front of a camera," said another.

Ten apologised, issuing a statement on behalf of Negus saying his remark was a tongue-in-cheek quip about men with good bodies.

"In no way was it meant to be a comment or a reflection on Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, directly or otherwise," Negus said.

"However, if my comment has unintentionally offended Ben, his family, or his ADF/SAS colleagues, obviously I am sorry."