Paris Hilton has insisted she is "not a dumb blonde" but said she is very good at pretending to be one.The hotel heiress, known for The Simple Life and other reality shows, opened up about being more herself these days during an interview on This Morning.

Video transcript

- When you look at your life, what has been the most moving for you, or the most educational for you? What have you learned in your life?

- Just so much. I've lived such a full and exciting life. But I've also been through so much, and it's just made me such a strong woman today.

- That's amazing.

- And I write all about it in the book.

- So when--

- It's a lot.

- --when you decided it, was there a gear change in your life where you didn't want to be on TV and be right out-- And-- and to a point, like you said, someone else is controlling your narrative to becoming, you know, growing up I guess, and-- and becoming an adult and being a businesswoman and all of that. Was there-- was there a moment, or did it just happen sort of slowly?

- I just think that for a long time people have misunderstood and underestimated me. But I can understand. Playing that character, of course they were going to assume otherwise. But I'm not a dumb blonde. I'm just very good at pretending to be one.

- Did you feel trapped to be perceived like that?

- I think just after "The Simple Life" I kind of got stuck in that character where everyone assumed that's who I really was in real life.

- Yeah.

- And I'm a naturally shy person, so I think it was also kind of a mask for me.