REVIEW: The 'Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary' goodbye hits harder than ever

Instead of rushing home from school, I rushed home from the gym. Instead of waiting for mum’s ‘dinner is ready’ call, I prepped and cooked it myself with the groceries I’d bought, in the house I pay rent for - because I’m no longer that 5-year-old girl, I’m 25.

But because I saw Miley Cyrus rock her signature Hannah Montana blonde bangs, suddenly 20 years felt like yesterday.

“It’s good to be home,” Miley said walking into the studio where it all began with a smile, all while serving absolute Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent - IYKYK!

The same smile for any fan, the second we saw the iconic Malibu house, we felt we, too, had grown up in.

I’ve never stepped foot in that house - well, set - but I know it like the back of my hand.

The ‘Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary’ special opened with a performance of the legendary ‘Best of Both Worlds’ track that had us boogying before every. single. episode.

I’m not gonna lie, it was ever so slightly disappointing to know she was very likely lip syncing, but something about it felt true to the Hannah we knew and loved. She was iconic for her over-dramatic moves and expressions. 

I didn’t even manage to get to the end of the performance without feeling a certain heaviness in my heart and tearing up over this woman who helped raise me as Miley Stewart, Cyrus and Hannah.

It was made very clear from the get-go that this was a special for the fans - those of us who know the show inside out, the lore that runs deep and those of us who have supported Miley for two whole decades - for some, that’s almost their entire life.

The “ooooh oh oh yeah” prelude gave me SHIVERS! It was the little touches that made it so intimate for the fan experience - the ketchup labelled ‘hand moisturiser’ and the jar of 'sweet nibblets' in the fridge, the iconic looks stored in the wardrobe from all of our dreams, admitting she would pick Jake in the Jake and Jesse love triangle - every little detail and reference to what made the show so memorable hit home.

Especially watching Miley do the ‘Hoe Down Throw Down’ dance from the ‘Hannah Montana’ movie. I taught my whole high school year group that same dance around the 10th anniversary mark of the show - so her saying it came back to her like “riding a bike” was something I felt immensely - that sh** is muscle memory at this point.

The former Disney Channel Worldwide president, Gary Marsh, told Miley exactly how it is: “You’ve changed a lot of lives”.

While speaking to her and reading out an email he sent to the show execs, while in the process of casting for Hannah Montana, Gary revealed Miley didn’t get the role by a landslide and instead took a risk on choosing her for the role.

"We don’t just aim to create great television - we aim to create stars,” he read from the email. "I'm ready to move forward with Miley. Is she a risk? Absolutely. But does she have star potential? Without a doubt."

Years from now, we'll look back on this moment - the one where we chose risk over safety - and remember why it mattered.

This stuck with me, knowing how different it could be had we not been able to all share Miley and witness the joy and laughter she brought to our screens.

It hasn’t been missed on Miley either. Her main drive for the 20th Anniversary has always been for the fans.

“It’s really for the fans who grew up with me… for the longevity and loyalty,” she said.

I don’t know about you, but the final 20 mins of the anniversary special felt like a chapter we still weren’t ready to close - and despite saying goodbye to the show 15 years ago, it somehow felt harder this time around.

Miley’s final performances of the special included ‘This is the Life’ - the first and now last Hannah Montana song she performed. And that alone cut deep.

She followed up by singing ‘The Climb’ - the defining song where Miley shows the world she’s Hannah.

The lyrics, “I may not know it, but these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most…” cut deep, knowing that a TV show has had such a great impact on so many lives - something we very much had no idea would impact us into adulthood.

“I’m proud that I make people feel less alone,” Miley said on her mission - now success - of bringing this community of people together by making them laugh.

I love being Hannah, I love being Miley Cyrus, I love my personas, but what I'm most proud of is who I am as a person.

"I'm proud that that's always stayed true. That what I've done has always come from a heart first. It's always been about making the world a better place from what I can offer," she added.

To end, Miley had the opportunity to do something I-CON-IC, and she took it - recreating the scene leaving the OG Stewart household for the last time.

If you thought leaving your Year 13 leavers assembly to ‘Wherever I Go’ was the ultimate tear-jerker, Miley’s new song ‘Younger You’ will leave you SOBBING!

“It’s been an honour to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of ‘Hannah Montana’,” Miley said mid-song.

I’ve looked back at every memory with a heart full of love… Hannah, she gave me my start, but my fans gave me this life.

And as I sat there, all grown-up with tears streaming down my face, I realised she didn’t just give us Hannah - she gave us that internal spark to believe we could be and do great while staying true to ourselves… and that’s what it means to have the best of both worlds.