Maria Miller has spoken to insist she was not pushed from her role of Culture Secretary but had to go because the scandal over her expenses was becoming a "distraction".
In an interview after her early morning resignation following a week of mounting pressure, a clearly upset Mrs Miller said she took "full responsibility" for her decision to step down.
She said: "This has been a really difficult 16 months. Because I was cleared of the central allegation made about me by a Labour Member of Parliament, I hoped that I could stay. But it has become clear to me in recent days that it has become an enormous distraction.
"It is not right that I am distracting from the incredible achievements of this Government."
She denied she thought there had been a "witch-hunt" against her because of her role overseeing the reforms on press freedom suggested in the Leveson report, as had been claimed by her aide on Tuesday.
Asked if she was sorry she replied: "I have made it clear and apologised unreservedly to the House of Commons and made sure that it was clear to everybody that I took full responsibility for those findings.
"I want to make that the situation is clear to everybody and make sure that I can move on."
In her resignation letter to David Cameron Mrs Miller, 48, told him she was "very grateful" for his personal support during the growing row over her expenses.
Mr Cameron, who consistently offered public support for his minister, said he was saddened by her departure but hoped the Basingstoke MP could make a return "in due course".
He has announced that Sajid Javid, MP for Bromsgrove, is to become the new Culture Secretary.
Mr Javid, the son of a bus driver, is a former managing director at Deutsche Bank, where he was reportedly on a salary of £3m a year, and a rising star in the Conservative party. He has been tipped as a future leader.
Maria Miller's 32-second apology in the Commons was incendiary Mrs Miller finally stepped down six days after she was forced to apologise in the House of Commons for her attitude to an inquiry into the allowance claimed on her second home.
The Prime Minister had been under increasing pressure in recent days to sack her from Tory activists and MPs, and Mrs Miller's position had become untenable.
Mr Cameron was facing a difficult time at Prime Minister's Questions at lunchtime and had to tackle Tory back benchers at a meeting of the powerful Conservatives 1922 committee later.
The announcement of her resignation sparked criticism that it had taken so long for her to step down and raised questions over Mr Cameron's leadership.
Labour MP John Mann, who made the original expenses complaint against Mrs Miller, said: "Why has it taken five days in what was a clear cut case she had to leave Government that she could be responsible for media freedom in this country after her behaviour?
"I mean where was the Prime Minister's leadership on this? He should have sacked her straight away when she refused to go."
Lord Tebbit told Sky News: "If the Prime Minister had taken my advice a week ago, if he had asked for it before I had to give it in public, the issue would have been done and dusted by now."
But Education Secretary Michael Gove defended the Prime Minister, telling the Radio 4 Today programme: "I don't think his judgement has been flawed; hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Mr Cameron repeatedly backed his Culture Secretary "The Prime Minister's attitude throughout has been governed by the basic human decency that is his hallmark."
Mrs Miller's camp had on Tuesday night attempted a fight-back after days of newspaper headlines and the faltering support for her within Government.
Her aide Mary Macleod appeared on Sky News to claim she was a victim of a witch-hunt because she was dealing with press reforms recommended in the Leveson report. She had sent a text to MPs attempting to garner support for Mrs Miller.
She also claimed that Mrs Miller was unpopular because she was responsible for steering through the legislation on gay marriage.
In her resignation letter Mrs Miller said: "Of course, implementing the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson on the future of media regulation, following the phone hacking scandals, would always be controversial for the press.
The second home at the centre of the row "Working together with you, I believe we struck the right balance between protecting the freedom of the press and ensuring fairness, particularly for victims of press intrusion, to have a clear right of redress."
Her departure leaves four women in the Cabinet: Home Secretary Theresa May, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, and International Development Secretary Justine Greening. Baroness Warsi sits in the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio.
Conservatives in Mrs Miller's constituency voice disappointment at her departure. Stephen Marks, a Conservative councillor on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said: "She did Leveson on press complaints and I feel the press were going to get their own back on her. I am saddened that she had to resign, but that is the way it is."
Mrs Miller issued a much-derided 32-second apology on Thursday after Parliament's sleaze watchdog upbraided her for her attitude to an expenses inquiry into her claims for a second home.
She was also ordered to pay back £5,800 of wrongly claimed allowances on the house in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she sold for a £1.2m profit in February.
However, it emerged that the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards had found that Mrs Miller should have paid back £45,000 in expenses claimed on the home but this was over-ruled by the Standards Committee of 10 MPs and three independent members, who do not have a vote.
It led to calls for an end to a system where MPs are allowed to police their own expenses, with the head of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Sir Ian Kennedy, saying they should not "mark their own homework".
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