Cyrus: I'm still a big fan of Sinéad

Miley Cyrus says she is still a big fan of Sinead O'Connor.

The 46-year-old Irish musician criticised and insulted the 20-year-old singer in a number of open letters posted online last week, which has sparked a feud between the pair, but Cyrus insists she hasn't got a bad word to say about the musician and was left baffled by the whole thing.

Speaking to Matt Lauer on 'The Today Show', she said: "I think she's an incredible artist. I think she's an awesome songwriter and I was really inspired by her for my 'Wrecking Ball' video, which is what started the whole thing.

"I don't know how someone can start a fight with somebody that's saying: 'Hey I really respect you. And I really love what you did'.

"'You know what? You suck and I don't like you.'

"That was kind of crazy, but like I said, I'm a big fan of hers, so it doesn't really matter."

Cyrus - who revealed O'Connor's video for 'Nothing Compares 2 U' inspired her 'Wrecking Ball' promo - added: "I get open letters every day so it's nothing too new for me."

The 'We Can't Stop' singer - who caused uproar after her raunchy latex bikini-clad performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in August - insists she doesn't mean to make people fee uncomfortable, but is refusing to tone down her sexy new image because her fans understand her.

She explained: "I don't ever really plan to offend people, but sometimes that happens because I think people, they're not open to what they don't understand."