Teen star Miley Cyrus admits it was a mistake to be photographed semi-nude for Vanity Fair magazine - but insists it has brought her closer to her young fans.

The 15-year-old singer sparked controversy when she was snapped topless, wearing just a bedsheet, by celebrity photographer Annie Leibowitz for the June (08) issue of the magazine.

But the photo scandal hasn't stopped the Disney star from reaching out to her impressionable young audience - because they can relate to her "mistakes".

She says, "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.

"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.

She adds of parents' concerns their children have idolised an improper 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. 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."