Actress Bella Thorne has come out as pansexual, explaining: “You like what you like.”

The former Disney child star, 21, had previously identified as bisexual but told Good Morning America she does not now consider gender or sex when looking for a partner.

She said: “I’m actually pansexual and I didn’t know that. Somebody explained to me really thoroughly what that is.

“You like beings. You like what you like. Doesn’t have to be a girl or a guy or a he or she or they or this or that. It’s literally you like personality.

“You just like a being.”

Thorne is currently in a relationship with Italian pop star Benjamin Mascolo and she posted pictures from a holiday in Sicily last month.

Thorne, who found fame playing CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel series Shake It Up from 2010 to 2013, was previously dating internet personality Tana Mongeau and American rapper Mod Sun.

She is not the first celebrity to identify as pansexual. Panic! At The Disco frontman Brendon Urie and Grammy-nominated singer Janelle Monae both came out as such last year.