Hannah Montana writer and co-executive producer Douglas Lieblein says he regrets the show’s stereotypical portrayal of a gay character in its pilot episode. His comments precede Disney’s airing of a 20th anniversary special for the show on March 24.

Lieblein joined Hannah Montana star Jason Earles and director Shannon Flynn to discuss the beloved Disney Channel show’s 2006 pilot on the March 17 premiere of their new “official unofficial” podcast, Best of Both Our Worlds. Late in the trio’s discussion, Earles brought up some of the problems with the show’s central conceit: that Miley Cyrus’s character, Miley Stewart, could plausibly maintain a double life as an average teen and pop star named Hannah Montana without anyone discovering her secret.

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Earles pointed to the fact that Fermine (Matt Winston), a stylist who only appeared in the pilot, seemed to be fully aware of Miley’s secret identity.

Lieblein, however, said he had an entirely different problem with Fermine.

“No offence to the actor” Lieblein said, “but the way he played that part was a cartoon, right? He was two-dimensional.”

Lieblein admitted that the show’s creators “were so afraid to create a gay character on a kids’ television show” in 2006.

“Twenty years ago, just remember the world we lived in,” he explained. “So, the mistake I think that was made, and I think what bugged me the most is that we made him a stereotype.”

“All of his humor came from his gay- and swishiness, which I think is horrific to me,” Lieblein continued. “It is like the biggest mistake you can make. And it is just an insult.”

Lieblein contrasted the character with another: the Stewart family’s wealthy neighbor Albert Dontzig (played by twin actors Paul and Peter Vogt). While Dontzig wasn’t explicitly gay in the show, Lieblein said he always thought of the character as gay.

“And the humor of Dontzig comes from his persnicketiness, and not his gayness,” he explained. “But it was also written different.”

On March 24, Disney will air a 20th anniversary special for the show, with visits from past cast members and never-before-seen archival footage from the beloved children’s show.

Cyrus, who is now a pop sensation, revealed her pansexual identity in a 2015 interview with Elle UK. Cyrus actively supports LGBTQ+ rights through her nonprofit, the Happy Hippie Foundation, which advocates for homeless youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable populations.

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