Listen to this story being read by Charlotte Begg, here.

Blondes have more fun, right? Maybe not anymore.

I've wanted to be blonde for as long as I can remember. My mum and sister are blonde, the coolest girls in school were blonde, and all the big celebrities I grew up loving? Blonde, blonde, blonde.

I'm naturally brunette - the not-so-interesting chocolatey shade that I always found a little... dull.

After testing the waters with box dye, I started getting my hair professionally bleached at 15 and I've been an on-and-off bright blonde ever since.

And for a long time, I loved it - feeling like I was a part of a select group that could pull off the high maintenance hair colour, each time I got it dyed I would push it even further, trying to reach the lightest shade possible without ruining my hair.

(Spoiler: Ruin it I did.)

During the pandemic, I transitioned to a colour my hairstylist called "expensive beige" to lessen the constant maintenance, cost and damage (not to mention I couldn't go to the hair salon as often to get touch-ups).

My colourist would make my hair as light as possible, but without using bleach.

This year, I stopped dyeing it altogether. It was almost like a gut feeling - my mind and body told me it was time to put down the bleach and embrace my natural colour.

I've been my "dull" brown for almost 12 months and I've never loved my hair more - not only is it the longest and healthiest it's ever been but I feel more confident with it, more "me".

I'm not the only one who's made the switch.

After years as a blonde, Hailey Bieber returned to her roots late last year.

The 25-year-old told Refinery29 she's actually stopped colouring her hair altogether.

"I don't dye it blonde anymore and I try to stay away from colouring it at all," she said, adding that it's left her hair way healthier.

Known for her signature blonde hair, Margot Robbie has recently evolved her look towards the "expensive beige" end of the spectrum.

Lily James didn't stay blonde long after playing Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy, going even darker than her usual light brown.

And Nicola Peltz Beckham - who normally opts for a platinum blonde shade - went back to her natural colour soon after her wedding to Brooklyn Beckham.