A number of celebrities took to Twitter before Jenner's two-hour interview was even over, praising the star for his courage and inspiring story.
The 65-year-old told Diane: "For all intents and purposes, I am a woman,” Jenner told Diane. “My heart and my soul and all I do in life, that is part of me.
"I'm me. I'm a person. This is who I am. I'm not stuck in anybody's body. My brain is much more female than male. For all intents and purposes, I am a woman. People look at me differently."
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Jenner makes the revelation
A number of Bruce's friends' views were also shared during the show, and Diane shared that his decathlon teammates had reached out to share their support, stating: "He'll always be a friend."
Since 2007, Jenner and Kris have starred in their E! reality TV show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’, with Jenner's children from a previous marriage Brandon and Brody, Kris's kids Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob, and thier children together, Kendall and Kylie.
Bruce discussed his family's response to the news on the show, admitting that Khloe has struggled to deal with it.
He also revealed that he decided to tell Kim about his situation when she caught him cross-dressing, adding that at one point, when she was having difficulties understanding things, Kanye West offered some breakthrough advice.
Bruce explained: "They were talking about it. He said to Kim, 'I can be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, I am, I could have the most beautiful daughter in the world and I do, but I'm nothing if I can't be me, if I can't be true to myself.'
"From Kanye, yes, since then Kimberley has been by far the most accepting."
Bruce believes his dyslexia helped him win a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where he also set a new world record in the Decathlon.“If I wasn’t dyslexic, I probably wouldn’t have won the Games,” he said. “And I never would have realised that the way you get ahead in life is hard work.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Bruce Jenner: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(02 of07)
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Following his Olympic win, Bruce became an American hero and sporting role model, which saw a whole host of Bruce-related merchandise hitting the shops including dolls, clothing and a board game. But you know you’ve REALLY made it when millions can wake up and have breakfast with you every morning, thanks to your image being used on boxes of American cereal, Wheaties.
Bruce Jenner: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(03 of07)
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He has been married - and divorced - three times. He got hitched to actress Chrystie Scott in 1972 before divorcing in 1981. Just days later he walked down the aisle with another actress, Linda Thompson, but it was all over five years later. His longest marriage was to Kris Jenner, who he married in 1991 before divorcing in March 2015. (credit:Wire Image/AP)
Bruce Jenner: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(04 of07)
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Bruce was a bit of a sex symbol back in the day, which might explain why he got his hairy rug out for the cover of Playgirl magazine in 1982 (luckily, it was only his shirt he removed for the ladies nudie mag). And no, that isn’t Kris Jenner who’s snuggling up to him, it’s actually his second wife Linda Thompson.
Bruce Jenner: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(05 of07)
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Urban legend has it that Bruce was offered the title role in the 1978 ‘Superman’ movie. Not quite. Bruce was never actually offered the role but he DID audition for the part, which was eventually played by Christopher Reeve. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Bruce Jenner: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(06 of07)
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He might not have got to play Superman but in 1980, Jenner made his big-screen debut in the Village People movie ‘Can't Stop the Music’. Movieline said it was ‘like nothing you’ve seen before’, which was the biggest understatement of 1980. The film was, quite rightly, a huge flop.
Bruce Jenner: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds(07 of07)
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What connects Bruce with John Travolta and Carol Vorderman? Yep, they love nothing more than sitting in a cockpit for a buzz around the skies, flying their own plane. (credit:Donaldson Collection via Getty Images)