Taylor Swift is an ''incredibly inspiration'' to Selena Gomez.

The 'Come and Get It' hitmaker is thankful for the support and encouragement of her friend and is always open to listening to her advice.

Selena said: ''If anything Taylor's just been such an incredible inspiration and she's just like one of my biggest supporters and I don't think people know that as much as they think that she is.

''She has always wanted to see me find what makes me different and never forced her opinion too much; she would just tell me what she believed and what she thinks I should do and I've known her for eight years!''

Selena even left her pal ''sobbing'' tears of pride following her performance at the American Music Awards (AMAs) last November.

She added in an interview with Manchester radio station Key 3: ''At the AMAs when I performed 'The Heart Wants What It Wants' she was like sobbing backstage and she's like,'I'm so proud of you, that was everything I always wanted people to see about you', and it's just like really cool, she's incredible.''

While Selena, 23, herself often feels ''insecure'', she will do anything to stop other young people from feeling the same way.

She said: ''There are so many moments that I feel insecure and I feel all of these things but I hate them. If anything I hate that young girls look at all these Instagram pictures and all these news reports and I just feel like they think they have to look like that or they think that's what happiness is.

''I feel like that's such a big thing for me when they say, 'Oh I'm so unhappy and I feel like everybody at school hates me,' or whatever it is, I can't help just... I want to shake everyone and be like, 'You're insane. You're incredible. You're beautiful. You're strong. You're unique.'

''I guess it's just kind of how my Nana was growing up, my Grandma, she's always been that way.

''I just love people and I think that it's the worst when people feel that way about themselves. I do all the time but I want them to never feel that.''