Wardrobe change: Miley sang into a banana after changing into the piece of fishnet fabric and covering her breasts with nipple pasties

Back to her old tricks: Miley Cyrus is back in her underwear with her tongue out as she performs at the iHeartRadio music festival  in Las Vegas on Saturday

Predictably, Miley was also flashing the flesh in her earlier performance at the large-scale music festival, sporting a two-piece laced corset style ensemble which exposed her flat tummy and trim figure.

The star put extra energy into the performance, days after Hunger Games star Liam was pictured kissing actress Eiza González.

At one point, she provocatively caressed the bottom of a female dwarf back up dancer in a move clearly designed to shock.

Time to twerk: Miley was defiant in the face of criticism of her VMA show

I touch myself: Miley appeared to be remaining defiant and spent much of her performance touching herself on stage

Going for the grope: Miley caressed a dancing lady’s backside on stage

Are you ready for this? Miley came out fighting after a few calamitous weeks

Ever the professional, the platinum blonde star pranced around the stage, at one point throwing a bright pink bra into the audience as she pranced around alongside dancers dressed as giant mushrooms.

And Miley ramped up the raunchiness of her performance despite the presence of her mother Tish at the side of the stage.

The star was recently forced to defend herself after she was slammed by critics for her antics with a foam finger alongside Robin Thicke onstage at last month’s VMAs.

Saucy: Miley waved a pink bra around and went to throw it into the audience at the show

Let’s twerk! Miley busted some moves on stage, much to the delight of the audience

Have you seen this before? Miley gyrates with her back to the audience in a familiar move

An inappropriate paradox: A near-naked Miley sang in front of a colourful, innocent backdrop

‘You know now… you know what’s happened. Madonna’s done it, Britney’s done it,’ she told MTV in a sit down chat. ‘Every VMA performance, anyone that performs…that’s what you are looking for.

‘You wanting to make history. Me and Robin the whole time said “You know you are about to make history right now?’

And the star was adamant that the bad publicity had not affected her.

‘I don’t pay attention to the negative because I have seen this play out,’ she said. ‘How many times have we seen this play out in pop music?’

Are you ready? The crowd went wild for Miley’s raunchy display

Flower power: Miley mysteriously teamed her outfit with a daisy chain style choker as she sang alongside a woman dressed as a mushroom

Nail in the coffin: Miley’s VMA show allegedly speeded up the end of her romance with Liam Hemsworth