Miley Cyrus managed to get something unexpected past editors during the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special.
The 33-year-old singer and actress rose to fame on the Disney Channel series, which followed schoolgirl Miley Stewart as she secretly lived a double life as pop star Hannah Montana. The show ran for four seasons between 2006 and 2011 and became one of the network’s most successful franchises, spawning tours, merchandise and two films.
Two decades after the series first aired, Cyrus has reflected on its impact in a new special, described by Disney+ as a “love letter to fans”.
In the programme, she sits down with Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper to revisit her early career, including how she landed the role aged just 13.
Asked what made her stand out in auditions, Cyrus delivered a tongue-in-cheek answer: “Well, the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.”
The phrase — widely recognised as a tongue-in-cheek acronym — raised eyebrows among fans, given its cheeky connotations, and quickly circulated online.
“I cackled when she said that,” one viewer wrote on X, while another said they “screamed” at the moment.
The special also reveals that Cyrus’s casting was far from guaranteed. After an 11-month search narrowed the field to two finalists, Disney executives were divided over who should take the lead.
Then Disney Channel president Gary Marsh ultimately backed Cyrus, writing in an internal email that he was “ready to pull the trigger”.
“Is she a risk? Absolutely. Is she a potential star? Absolutely,” he said, with executives noting her lack of acting experience but strong authenticity.
The programme also features her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, who starred alongside her as Robby Ray Stewart. He admitted he initially doubted he was right for the role — and even encouraged producers to cast someone else.
“The guy auditioning before me… I thought, ‘That’s the dad,’” he recalled. “So I went in and told them to hire him.”
Cyrus joked that she and her mother, Tish, quickly shut that idea down, insisting he was the perfect fit.
Reflecting on the show’s legacy, Cyrus said it remains a defining part of her life and career.
“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am,” she said in a statement. “What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans.”
She added that the anniversary special is her way of celebrating the audience that has supported her over the past two decades.
“The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of.”
