The presenter who hosted the now infamous "two way" interview with defence reporter Andrew Gilligan, which sparked the Hutton Inquiry, said that watching Tony Blair's former press chief make his post-Hutton speech felt "like lying in the gutter while your head's kicked in".
In the interview due to appear in this week's Radio Times, Humphrys said that Campbell had attempted to undermine the BBC.
"I'm not getting into a pissing match with him. I've known him a long time. I like him and he's loyal, amusing and clever but he's tried to destabilise the BBC in a pretty tacky way," he said.
He also told the magazine that he felt that, like many staff, he did not think that director-general Greg Dyke nor chairman Gavyn Davies should have quit.
He said that Campbell accused him of sneering at ministers and came close to accusing him of lying.
In reference to the 6.07am "two way" broadcast on May 29 last year Humphrys told the magazine: "Stories at that time are usually less important than ones we save later for our main audience."
He said that the Hutton affair had damaged the 'Today' programme's confidence but editor Kevin Marsh had led a vigorous defence and that, he said, was what mattered.
"The biggest risk is ourselves. We have to hold our nerve. If someone takes a swipe, you flinch, but you don't cover your head and say: 'Please don't do it again'. Nor do you punch them back in the nose if you're a civilised bloke."
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
