Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors, Melinda Messenger, Ulrika Jonsson - just a few of the blondes who seem to have had more than their fair share of fun in their respective heydays, writes FIONA TARRANT.

Now blonde temptation is coming to the Oxford Playhouse. Sara Crowe, the blonde bombshell who's made eating Philadelphia cheese something of an art form - giving the ads TV cult status in the process - is starring in the lead role of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Sara, whose blonde locks make her perfect for the role of Lorelei Lee, made famous in the movie by Marilyn Monroe, doesn't mind being typecast, but she does want to be taken seriously too. A natural blonde, she admits she gets what she calls "glitzy" parts but makes them work for her. Instead of being upset at being known for dizzy roles, Sara sees it as a chance to dominate the field, so her name always comes to mind when a blonde actress is wanted. If you do something in a positive way, you can make a name for yourself and make it your own corner," she said. "I don't mind the typecasting, but I do want my fair share of the more meaty roles too."

The history of celebrity is littered with blondes who are as famous for being blonde as for anything they might actually have done. Here's a run-down of a few of them:

MARILYN MONROE: Actress and singer, friend to JFK. Famed for mysterious death in 1962

DIANA DORS: Actress, known as a blonde bombshell in her youth. Died young, in 1984, by which time she had lost her looks and become obese MELINDA MESSENGER: Model. Page-three girl who's made a successful transition into television, as guest host to Not the Jack Docherty Show

ULRIKA JONSSON: TV presenter, Leapt to fame from a TV weather girl who knew Prince Edward to a presenter with a cult (mostly male) following.

Sara will be on stage, singing the famous numbers Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and Bye Bye Baby, from September 8-12.

BLONDES ARE MORE FUNNY...

Here are a few jokes from the book Politically Incorrect Jokes from the Net, by Phillip Adams and Patrice Newell, published by Souvenir Press at £8.99.

How do you change a blonde's mind?

Blow in her ear. Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?

She kept throwing away all the Ws.

Did you hear about the blonde whose boyfriend said he loved her?

She believed him.

Why do blondes drive BMWs?

Because they can spell them.

What do you get when you offer a blonde a penny for her thoughts?

Change.

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