Miley Cyrus was 12 years old when Cyrus originally auditioned for Disney for the lead role of Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana, as well as the show's "best friend" roles, but Disney Channel executives judged Cyrus to be too small. However, Miley Cyrus was persistent in her desire to be part of Hannah Montana, so Disney called her back for further auditions. According to Disney Channel Executive Vice President Gary Marsh, she was chosen for the show because of her energetic and lively performance and was seen as a person who "loves every minute of life," with the "everyday relatability of Hilary Duff and the stage presence of Shania Twain."Miley Cyrus spent several years trying to get rid of her Southern accent, but in the end Disney wanted Cyrus to revive it. Later in an unusual twist, she had to audition her own father, Billy Ray Cyrus, to see if he would fit the role as Hannah's dad. Miley currently stars in Hannah Montana as the lead character Miley Stewart, whose alter ego is the pop music sensation Hannah Montana. Miley Cyrus also performs in character as Hannah Montana for albums and concerts. Miley also appeared in the Disney Channel Hannah Montana promotion, "Hannah Montana's Backstage Secrets," in which she portrays Hannah Montana in a fictional interview set in the show's canon.

LOS ANGELES special for MTV. I had a lot of fun today with — The “Miley-Sized Surprise” New Year’s eve show is officially wrapped — and it was spectacular! Right now, it’s Wednesday night and I’m in a car on my way to LAX to catch the red-eye flight back to NYC in time to host the “Engaged and Underaged: The Bridal Bowl Special”Miley Cyrus, the kids of Beckman High School in Irvine, California, and of course the real star of the show: Alison Kaprielian. The entire show was centered around Alison, whose mother was sadly diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. As well as juggling her school work, her social life and supporting her mother through her treatment, Alison volunteered for the Pink Ribbon Club, an organization targeted at teens that raises money for and spreads awareness of the fight against breast cancer. Alison also happens to be one of the biggest Miley fans ever, so when Miley turned up at her house unexpectedly this morning for an intimate and impromptu performance in her kitchen — Alison was overwhelmed, to say the least!

It didn’t stop there. Miley surprised Alison throughout the day with makeovers for her and her mother, and recorded one of those famous YouTube videos with her and Miley’s best friend Mandy Jiroux. We also flew in Alison’s best friend from Georgia, threw a monster surprise party in Alison’s honor and invited the entire high school for the huge Miley performance that closed out the night. And Pepsi made a big donation to the Pink Ribbon Club. It was really an amazing night — Alison and her family were so grateful.

As for Miley, she is without doubt one of the biggest sensations of the past decade, and it’s easy to see why: She’s an amazing character. She’s like a ball of energy who’s always singing or dancing or joking around. She was definitely having a lot of fun on the show, and it was kind of infectious. She’s a lot of fun to be around and undoubtedly one of my favorite co-hosts ever: I’m officially a fan of the girl’s swagger! She’s a mean keyboard player as well, and believe it or not, she’s even experimenting a little bit with hip-hop. Nothing serious — just a bit of fun, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if you see Miley doing the rap thing in the future. And I’ve got to say, her song “See You Again” is bloody great!

So that’s New Year’s Eve in L.A. wrapped. The show was a big success — but no time to celebrate. I’m at the airport now, got to catch my flight and head to good old New York. The clock will hit midnight while I’m in the air. I’ve never been on a plane on New Year’s Eve before, but I guess it’ll be a new experience. Going to try and catch some sleep while I can — I’ve got a show to host tomorrow! Wish me luck — and happy new year!