“I've never really been a fan, because it's so much about Mariah Carey,” she shrugged. “That's part of her shtick; I can see through that. That's part of what makes her a gay icon; like, it's about Mimi! It's about what she's wearing, and it's about her. What I make isn't about me. It's about sharing my story; it's about someone being connected to what I'm saying.”

Miley, 23, also stressed how important she thinks it is to not fall for someone’s sob story while picking potential finalists in the competition, reasoning anyone signing up with a sad tale should “go write a screenplay” about their life.

Having grown up in the spotlight, the popstar has seen her reputation change in the public eye, from Disney actress to party animal. She’s tamed her ways slightly now though and rekindled her romance with actor Liam Hemsworth, who she was previously engaged to, and admits she had no idea she’d transform so much in the limelight.

“When we were that age, we so thought we knew who we were,” she said of being a teenager. “When people say you're going to be so different at 22 or 23, when you're 16, you're like, I'm so not! And then you change drastically. But when you're younger, you're more selfish, because there's so much self-exploration, you're in your own mind. I didn't think about the meat I was eating. I would wear leather; I would wear fur. I was just uneducated.”