Celebrity role models like Cyrus confusing young girls says head

Stars who start out as clean-cut TV characters and then reinvent themselves as controversial and raunchy performers are sending mixed messages to schoolgirls, according to Jo Heywood of Heathfields School in Ascot, Berkshire.

She singled out Cyrus, who began her career playing Disney’s Hannah Montana, but has recently attracted criticism for a series of provocative performances including one at MTV’s Video Music Awards in the United States last month.

Writing on the Independent School Parent website, Mrs Heywood said she had hoped that after last year’s London Olympics, girls would have a new generation of women to look up to.

“For a moment back in 2012, there was talk that today’s generation of young women had some worthy female role models,” she said.

The achievements of Olympians such as Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams, Katherine Grainger and Victoria Pendleton made it seem that “finally women were being recognised for their achievements rather than their looks, which reality show they were on or which celebrity they were dating”.

“As head of an all-girls school, I have long been yearning for more appropriate female role models for today’s young women to look up to,” she added.

“We knew what these sportswomen stood for – hard work, sacrifice and achievement. They were clear-cut role models for young women to look up to and they did so.

“Now, a year on, I am not so sure that anything has really changed.

“I am more than a little concerned that some of the so-called role models young girls may look up to are giving them confusing mixed messages.”