Dita Von Teese thinks feminism has been a positive influence on the burlesque industry

She said: “I feel fortunate that burlesque means something different now than it did in the 1930s and 40s where it was a girly show meant for straight guys to ogle at a naked girl in real life.

“It's allowed me to be a ‘lady-boss’, to set things on my own terms, and to continue on later in life to inspire people and have more of a purpose behind what I do than I might have had if this were just me doing a strip tease for heterosexual men.”

And the beauty - who was previously married to Marilyn Manson - says she no longer has to “choose” between being a feminist and being a “sex object”, as she can now stand up for fellow women and feel sexy while doing it.

Speaking to Gay Times magazine, Dita added: “I’ve a lot to be grateful for and just the idea that now we no longer have to choose between feminists and being desired … dare I say revel in being sex objects. We can have it all, on our own terms. I think it's a great time to be a woman as we begin to understand that feminism can mean many things, and we should just try to respect one another's personal choices, even if we don't always agree.”