Julie Bishop's rough trot in front of the cameras continued on Tuesday night as the team on Channel Ten's The Project accused her of failing to warn Tony Abbott as soon as she knew a coup was imminent.

The deputy leader of the Liberal Party was asked when Malcolm Turnbull had first told her that he intended to challenge Mr Abbott for the leadership.

"In the days beforehand," Ms Bishop said. Adding that once it was "confirmed by others" she had informed the Prime Minister as soon as she could.

Co-host of The Project Waleed Aly fired back: "If Malcolm Turnbull said he was going to challenge and he told you that, don't you get straight on the phone to Tony Abbott if you support him loyally and tell him that?"

But Ms Bishop rubbished the suggestion she had stalled, saying there had been talk of a challenge for the past six months.

"I provide the information when I think it's at a point where the Prime Minister must know. But I am not the only person who provides the Prime Minister with advice and information," she said.

"Do you think hearing that tonight, Tony Abbott would feel let down by you, as Waleed points out? You are his deputy. Someone tells you that they are about to knife him. You don't pass it on?" asked co-host Steve Price.

"That isn't how it worked … people have been talking about Malcolm and I had no idea of the timing until the day before, and that's when I informed the Prime Minister. As soon as I could," she said.

Ms Bishop was also asked if she stood by comments she made in parliament in 2010 where she lambasted Labor's spill as a "poll-driven party [that] knives its leaders rather than face the judgment of the Australian people".

"I understand that these comments are going to be put to me endlessly and I understand that people will seek to draw parallels.

"The difference is, of course, that in February the Australian people were very well aware of the disapproval of a number of members of the Liberal party of the then Prime Minister's leadership.

"The Prime Minister asked for six months, and that was all public.

"I don't think it was a surprise to anyone that the six month-period had come and gone without there being any improvement in the polls.

"I'm not saying this is all about the polls. That would be simplistic to suggest that," Ms Bishop said.

It was not the first interview that appeared to cut close to the bone for Bishop on Tuesday.

The Foreign Affairs Minister conducted a media blitz, appearing on Sunrise, Today, Sky and the ABC as it was left to the re-elected deputy leader to explain the overnight coup to the public.

Earlier on Tuesday Ms Bishop confirmed Mr Abbott had pleaded for six months to turn things around in February when he stared down a spill motion.

She also said the internal angst against Mr Abbott had been building "for quite some time" but reached a head in recent days with MPs approaching her to voice their disquiet.

"I think there were tears shed," an emotional Ms Bishop told Today host Karl Stefanovic on Tuesday morning.

"I'm not enjoying this Karl, it is a very difficult time," she said visibly upset.

She said it was not easy to inform Mr Abbott that he had lost the support of his cabinet and partyroom but it was her duty to do so as the party's deputy.

"I was deeply concerned at the despair within the partyroom," she said.

"I was concerned by the fact that the prime minister had asked for six months to turn things around and that had not occurred.

"I feel very sad for Tony and his family and it was not an easy decision for anyone to make."

Later, Sunrise host David Koch asked Ms Bishop if she felt like "a bit of a traitor".

"I feel very sad for Tony and for his family," she said. "And it was not a easy decision for anyone to make. No-one took this decision lightly."