Hilary Duff: I still love Lizzie McGuire

Hilary Duff has had to learn to embrace her Lizzie McGuire alter ego with "the happiest heart".

The 27-year-old took on the lead role in the Disney Channel series when she was a teenager. Despite the show finishing more than a decade ago, Hilary is still reminded of Lizzie on an almost daily basis.

"It was funny because my make-up artist was doing my make-up the other day and he was like 'Do you want to relive your middle school years?," she told MTV News. "I'm sure everyone would be like 'no' and I have to do it with the happiest heart, but I get it, I totally get it."

In the initial aftermath of the show ending in 2004, Hilary admits she would get annoyed if people brought it up. But over time, the singer has embraced her past and has realised how special that period was.

"[Lizzie McGuire] touched people at a time of their lives where they must have needed it so it stuck with them for such a long time and I feel really grateful for that," she continued. "I loved the show too and I loved what we created there."

However Hilary, who has just released her new album, Breathe In. Breathe Out, is still far from impressed when people call her the character's name instead of her own.

"I didn't love being called Lizzie for like five years of my life and even now sometimes, I don't even look like the same person," she said. "And everyone wants to really get in detail and talk about it."