Australia's First Lady of state politics as you've NEVER seen her before: Gladys Berejiklian wears Carla Zampatti as she opens up about her secret affair with dodgy Daryl Maguire that almost cost her everything 

• Gladys Berejiklian opened up about last 1.5 years in Women's Weekly interview
• The 50-year-old NSW premier wore a blue and white Carla Zampatti outfit  
• She wishes she could've told her sisters about Daryl Maguire amid ICAC inquiry

Gladys Berejiklian has opened up about her scandalous romance with political colleague Daryl Maguire and her life beyond her high-pressure job in a photo feature for a magazine in which she wears a classic Carla Zampatti dress. 

The NSW premier looked back on a chaotic year riddled by devastating bushfires, coronavirus and personal scandals during a sit down chat with The Australian Women's Weekly this month. 

While handling her state's response to the pandemic, Ms Berejiklian's personal life was thrown into the spotlight as her former colleague, Mr Maguire, was subject to an ICAC inquiry into corruption. 

Ms Berejiklian gave evidence to the hearing in October and admitted she had 'a close personal relationship' with Mr Maguire, which began in 2015. 

The very private premier claimed she didn't even tell her family, her closest friends or her colleagues of the relationship's existence. She didn't believe it merited 'sufficient status'.  

But the premier has now revealed she wished she had informed her parents and sisters, Rita and Mary, before the bombshell relationship became front page news.

'I couldn't. I wasn't allowed. There was a process in place … I just knew I had to deal with it myself,' she said. 

In the wake of the relationship admission, Ms Berejiklian said it had been 'one of the most difficult days of my life' - but she never considered standing down as premier as she did not believe she had done anything wrong. 

The 50-year-old told Women's Weekly she struggled with the invasion of her privacy during the inquiry and media reports that followed.  

'But that's the thing about public life. Even if you're a very private person, which I am - I'm still very private - even so, there's nothing about you that's off limits, unfortunately. Sometimes it verges on disrespect, but that's just the way it is and you have to accept that,' she said. 

Ms Berejiklian was again under fire a month later when she went against her government's advice and failed to self-isolate following a coronavirus test.

She then came under fire for an admission that 95 per cent of the $252million Stronger Communities Fund was given to Coalition electorates.

'If the accusation is that the government favoured certain areas, that's an accusation we'll wear,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters in November. 

'It's not an illegal practice, unfortunately it happens from time to time, with every government.'

Despite the criticisms, Ms Berejiklian holds a 75 per cent approval rating according to the most recent NSW polling, with most praising her for an effective and panic-free handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a leader, the premier said she is more rational than emotional but still has room for empathy and compassion.

She is 'a clear thinker' who tends to process things herself when she is facing a rough time.

But the premier said she is never left feeling unsupported as she has a strong network with her parents, sisters, extended family, close friends and colleagues holding her up.

Her faith inherited from her migrant parents also helps her through.

'I'm a very Armenian Orthodox girl … but for me religion is a private thing. I'm quite progressive socially. So even if I don't subscribe to a certain way of life, I strongly believe that individuals should be free to make their choices in life as they want to, irrespective of my views,' she said.  

Ms Berejiklian said she hopes her state's response to the coronavirus pandemic will include people 'being kinder' to each other and more considerate.   

The premier's interview featured in the May issue of The Australian Women's Weekly.