Catherine Marriott thanks supporters during charity ride

Catherine Marriott has thanked those who supported her after her allegations against Barnaby Joyce went public.

Photo of Catherine Marriott from 2012. Picture: AAP

Catherine Marriott, who lodged a sexual harassment complaint against former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, has thanked her supporters from far north Queensland, saying she is trying not to focus on the fact that her confidential complaint became public this week.

Former Western Australian Rural Woman of the Year, Marriott, is currently cycling from Mackay to Cairns in an attempt to raise $20,000 for cancer charity, Tour de Cure.

Standing in her cycling gear beside an outback road this afternoon, Ms Marriott sent a 41-second video to a friend to post on her behalf, letting her friends know she was “doing well”.

She was forced to shut down her social media accounts after news of the sexual harassment complaint was leaked to the media this week.

“I thought I’d do a little shout out… I sort of deleted all of my socials, I had a bit of drama this week,” Ms Marriott said.

“I’m not wanting to focus on that, I’m just wanting to give all you guys who have supported me with Tour de Cure a shout out”.

According to Ms Marriott, her charity ride across northern Queensland was progressing well, despite the pressure of having her sexual harassment complaint circulated throughout the media.

For those wondering about Maz, here’s an update. Keep those legs pumping - you’re doing an awesome job, mate! #agchatoz #ausag #auspol #standwithmaz @tourdecure_aus Spread the word to help 👉🏻 https://t.co/r242FUOa2k pic.twitter.com/Re34swecHL

— Simone Kain (@simonekain) February 28, 2018

“Everything is (g)oing really well for me, apart for a few little hiccups,” she said.

“It hasn’t been the best week.”

Ms Marriott, a well-respected figure in the WA agricultural industry, filed the “very serious” complaint directly to the Federal Executive of the National party last week but requested that it remain formal and confidential.

Mr Joyce, who resigned to the backbench after coming under enormous scrutiny due to the allegations, and his dealings in relation to his partner and former staffer, Vikki Campion, were revealed, slammed Ms Marriott’s complaint as “spurious and defamatory”.

He is reportedly seeking legal advice in relation to the claims.

In a statement released after the news broke, Ms Marriott said she “never intended for this issue to become public”.

“It is about speaking up against inappropriate behaviour by people in powerful positions,” she said.