'I wish I would've gone on the CMAs with a foam finger and twerked': Billy Ray Cyrus reveals admiration for daughter Miley as she admits she's 'happiest I've ever been'

Billy Ray Cyrus has revealed his admiration for daughter Miley's wild antics.
While the country music star admits his eldest child has been causing a lot of controversy lately with her twerking at the VMAs, racy photo shoots and tongue-in-cheek Saturday Night Live hosting gig, rather than be embarrassed, the proud dad says he admires Miley's courage in breaking out from her Disney star mould.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight's Nancy O'Dell on Monday, the 52-year-old said: 'I sent Miley a little note [after her performance at the MTV VMAs because] she was taking a lot of hits from a lot of different directions and something just told me to speak to her.
'I said, "I'm proud of you because you knew you had to reinvent [yourself], coming out of this mammoth monster known as Hannah Montana."

'It's all I ever wanted': Billy Ray Cyrus - pictured in Beverly Hills on September 25 - says he's noticed a change in daughter Miley since she broke off her engagement to Liam Hemsworth, as she herself admits she's 'the happiest I've ever been'

"You can't count on somebody in a suit and a high-rise in New York to tell you what the chemistry is for you as an artist; you have to figure that out yourself. Your daddy spent almost 20 years trying to find what that thing is to bring you out of the eclipse of a monster."'

He continues, 'Looking back on it, I kind of wish I would've thought of going on the [Country Music Awards] with a foam finger and twerked. It would've been a whole different ball game!'
While Miley very publicly called off her engagement to actor fiancé Liam Hemsworth in September following months of attempts to salvage the on-again, off-again four-year relationship, the Achy Break Heart singer went on to confirm that rather than wallow in self-pity about the failed romance, the 20-year-old seems to have a new lease on life.
He said, 'All I know for sure is I heard my daughter say today she's the happiest she's ever been in her life immediately following [the split]...

'Noah might be [the closest] to all of our children as knowing normal': The country singer puts Miley's wild antics down to her 'never having known normal', though he holds out hope for youngest daughter Noah (right)

'Somewhere along the stress and strain of different things I didn't see her smiling as often for a little while and, all of a sudden, she's like the sun and when she smiles it's light...

'Everything happens for a reason and the main thing for me, as Miley's daddy, is she's happy.'
He later echoed the same sentiment in a Twitter post to his almost 1.6 million followers.

'Wanna know how I feel as a Father? Just heard my daughter say@MileyCyrus "I'm the happiest I've ever been in my whole life". All I ever wanted.'

His comment comes after Miley made an appearance on the Today show that morning, where host Matt Lauer questioned the star as to whether or not she has a five-year plan.

'I didn't see her smiling as often': Billy Ray says the 20-year-old - pictured with her then-fiancé at his LA movie premiere on August 8 - is 'happy' now that she's single, as he concedes that 'everything happens for a reason'

'I kind of wish I would've thought of going on the [Country Music Awards] with a foam finger and twerked': The 52-year-old says he admires his daughter for pushing boundaries at the VMAs with Robin Thicke, as he admits he wishes he'd done the same

'Not really, I'm just focused on when I get to go on tour, which is going to be next year, which I'm really excited about,' she said. 'My plan is focusing on right now and continuing what I'm doing because I'm the happiest I've ever been in my whole life. So I'm really happy to be here.'
Bill Ray - who has two other children, Braison, 18, and Noah, 13, with wife Tish - goes on to insist his daughter has never lead a normal life - and neither has he.
Though he still holds out hope that Miley's younger sister may be able to find that elusive normalcy.

So that's where she gets it! Miley's ever-supportive momager Tish pulled her daughter's infamous tongue pose as the pair pouted for a selfie following her Today shoe performance on Monday

He says: 'I've never known normal. Miley's never known normal. Noah might be [the closest] to all of our children as knowing normal and even that's quite sad to say, because let's think about her world right now: it's anything but normal...

'I've really enjoyed the time I've been allowed to spend with Noah lately,' he added.

Billy Ray also has a son, Cody, 20, with Kristin Luckey, while he adopted and raised Tish's kids Trace, 25, and Brandi, 23, from a previous relationship.

A family affair: Billy Ray and Tish turned out to support Miley with children Brandi, Noah and Trace (from left) at the 2010 Hollywood premiere of The Last Song and have continued to support here as she makes her startling transition from Disney star