Grey hair don't care: George Clooney voted world's sexiest silver fox

George Clooney has been voted the world's sexiest grey haired celebrity, according to new research.

The 61-year-old actor has been rocking his silver fox status for years, but has now been fully recognised as the hottest star with a natural grey hue.

Coming in second spot and flying the flag for the Brits is Dame Helen Mirren, who originally decided to embrace her natural colour after playing Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George.

Other stars who are celebrating their silver locks include actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Gere, Idris Elba, and Meryl Streep.

Meanwhile, Salma Hayek, who recently shared her silver streaks in a stunning Instagram beach shot along with the caption: "Proud of my white hair", has also been recognised as a sexy silver sister.

Read more: Woman who went grey at 16 encourages other 'silver sisters' to embrace their natural colour

Other fully fledged members of the grey and proud brigade, who were also recognised in the list, include Harrison Ford, Barack Obama, Colin Firth, Sarah Jessica Parker and former Friends star, Matt LeBlanc.

The research, compiled by insights agency, Perspectus Global, also looked into our changing attitudes to grey hair.

In a move towards age-inclusivity it seems more and more Brits are opting to welcome the greys with almost a third (28%) of over 40s admitting that natural grey hair is sexier than dyed locks.

Read more: Stress really does turn your hair grey

Around one in five (22%) reckon grey hair looks mature and sophisticated, while over a quarter (28%) say they are embracing their silver because they are worried about the condition of their hair from constant colouring.

One in ten (9%) have stopped colouring their hair to save both time and money.

Of those that are still dying their hair, a fifth (21%) say they plan on embracing their greys one day, with a tenth (10%) tempted to make the transition sooner rather than later.

Discussing the reasons for this move to more natural locks, one in ten (10%) say they have been inspired by social media accounts and celebrities to stop colouring their hair.

Watch: Two-fifths of men with grey hair are self-conscious about it

More than half (51%) of those polled agreed that as a result of celebrities celebrating their grey hair, they are opting to let their natural hair grow through.

One in three (36%) believe it is now more acceptable to go grey, while a further 36% believe there is less stigma about not covering their silver streaks.

In further hair-positive news, a third (35%) love how their natural hair looks, while one in three (32%) believe it looks really cool.

Just over a quarter (28%) think that times are changing and less men and women will colour their hair in future to hide the greys.

This shift could be credited to the various pandemic lockdowns when one in four (28%) started to embrace their greys and stopped colouring their hair.

Read more: Jane Fonda reveals why she’s happy she embraced her natural grey hair

Commenting on the findings Harriet Scott, CEO of Perspectus Global says: "The survey results suggest Brits believe silver is sexy, and it is great to see how many are now ditching the hair dye and embracing their natural colour.

"It is also great to see George Clooney come top in the poll, along with so many other gorgeous grey stars."

Most attractive silver haired celebrities according to Brits

1. George Clooney 28%

2. Helen Mirren 21%

3. Jamie Lee Curtis 16%

4. Richard Gere 16%

5. Idris Elba 15%

6. Meryl Streep 14%

7. Salma Hayek 14%

8. Pierce Brosnan 14%

9. Tom Hanks 13%

10. Harrison Ford 12%

11. Jodie Foster 12%

12. Barack Obama 11%

13. Colin Firth 11%

14. Sarah Jessica Parker 10%

15. Jane Fonda 10%

16. Matt Leblanc 9%

17. Jon Bon Jovi 9%

18. Diane Keaton 8%

19. Antonio Banderas 7%

20. Andie MacDowell 6%