David Petraeus speaks for the first time since scandal to Kyra Phillips

General David Petraeus has spoken out for the first time since his affair with Paula Broadwell became public, forcing him to resign – and revealed he is determined to make his marriage work.

Breaking his silence almost a week after he dramatically stepped down, David Petraeus also revealed he has not spoken to his mistress, Paula Broadwell, since the scandal emerged and denied he had ever given her classified military documents.

He maintained that his shock resignation on Friday had nothing to do with hearings about the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, which he was due to testify at this week.

Instead, David Petraeus, speaking with HLN reporter Kyra Phillips, said he stepped down as he was deeply remorseful about the affair and the only honorable thing left to do was to admit his failings.

And, relaying her conversations with David Petraeus to HLN on Thursday, Kyra Phillips said he was now focusing on repairing the damage inflicted on his family, including his two adult children, Anne and Stephen.

He admitted to her that he had “screwed up terribly” and that he “felt fortunate to have a wife who is far better than he deserves”, Kyra Phillips said.

“He knows he made a big mistake,” she said.

“He does want to move forward making things work with his family. He doesn’t want to throw 37 years out the window with his wife.”

“This woman is strong,” she added of Holly Petraeus.

“She knows what she wants. She’s obviously, according to people that know her well, not happy about this – very, very upset about this.

“I do not know if she’s committed to working this out with Petraeus… But I do know that Dave Petraeus does not want to throw 37 years away and would really like to make this work and make things right with his family.”

David Petraeus, 60, revealed very little about his ten-month affair with Paula Broadwell, which ended in July, but said they had not spoken since Friday.

“They have not talked since this story broke,” Kyra Phillips said.

“They talked a couple of times when he ended this relationship which was a couple [of] months ago. But they have not talked since the story broke.”

These previous conversations have been confirmed by sources who saw David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell chatting at an intelligence event in Washington on October 27, weeks after the start of the FBI probe.