Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has given a wide-ranging interview promoting his new memoir, in which he defends his tenure at the airline while acknowledging the mistakes that damaged its reputation. He also opened up about his impoverished upbringing in Dublin and the difficulties of being openly gay in Australian corporate life, framing these experiences as central to understanding the decisions he made while running the carrier.

Joyce said the book charts his family's life from a poor upbringing in Dublin, recalling how his mother relied on a soup kitchen to feed her children because they could not afford full meals. Despite his efforts to contextualise his record, Sunrise host Natalie Barr reportedly challenged him during the interview, accusing him of "hurting Australians" through his leadership decisions at Qantas.