Gov. Robert Bentley should resign from office in what one influential radio host said would be a "true example" of leadership.

Rick Burgess, co-host of the Birmingham-based nationally syndicated show "Rick and Bubba," said the 73-year-old governor should resign in the wake of admissions he had an improper relationship with chief political advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason, a married mother of three.

"It would show true leadership if (Bentley) would say 'I've made a mistake. I've dishonored my wife, my family, this woman and her family and I'm going to submit to the leadership of my church and I'm going to step down," Burgess told AL.com Tuesday.

"(Bentley's) a man of faith and I am too. If you look at the faith part of what he claims to be, it doesn't mean he's perfect. It doesn't mean he can't be flawed. We all are. But we should handle things differently because of our faith," Burgess added.

"But he's shown poor leadership. I'd say he's missed the opportunity to show true leadership and step down."

Dianne Bentley, the governor's wife of 50 years, filed for divorce in August 2015. Last month, audio tapes of Bentley having an intimate conversation with Mason emerged and the governor admitted to having made "inappropriate" comments to Mason. Both Bentley and Mason, who has since resigned her position with the governor's office, have denied having a physical affair.

Earlier Tuesday, Burgess addressed the Bentley issue on his morning radio show.

"It's embarrassing," Burgess said on-air. "What he should have done is taken full responsibility for it. Being in a leadership role he should have stepped down and said I need to get my family together. I obviously need to fall under the authority of my church. I've have embarrassed my faith which is most important. I've embarrassed my wife. I've embarrassed my children. I've embarrassed the state. I've brought dishonor to the governor position in this state," Burgess said.

"(Bentley) had chance to be unique, to be different, to be a real leader and that is to say 'I'm flawed, I made a terrible mistake and I take full responsibility for it and so much so that I'm stepping down from this leadership role.'"

"This is a guy that when he came into power...wanted to talk about his faith. If you really want to be a man of faith, do something abnormal and show that you're different. Not perfect but different."

Gov. Bentley was first elected in 2010 on a staunchly conservative, family values platform. Both Bentley and Mason were members of First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa though Senior Pastor Gil McKee said neither is currently attending the church. Bentley was also removed from his deaconship at the church.