Cyrus: 'I wanted an older audience'

Miley Cyrus signed up for her controversial Vanity Fair photoshoot after deciding that she wanted to appeal to an older audience, she has revealed.

The 15-year-old TV star apologised for posing topless after the shoot did not turn out how she had expected. She later received a backlash from fans, which resulted in falling ratings for her Disney Channel show Hannah Montana.

"I think I was in a stage where I was trying to get things done and maybe work with an older audience, I was working with a big magazine and was trying to go with what they were trying to say," Cyrus explained.

"Everyone has made a mistake. Anyone that was 15 years old, they can't say they haven't made mistakes. So I think it's just normal. I think it's made me more relatable."

Cyrus insisted that parents should still allow their children to watch her show, as she continues to be a positive role model.

"People do need to remember that I am young, that I do have feelings and that I'll do the same thing for them and help their kids through it," she said. "Anytime they need advice, I think they can come to me even more with an open heart because they know that I've struggled as well."