Cyrus: 'I wanted an older audience'

Rex Features

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."