🔗 Share this article

The Oscar-winning actress has described the freshly installed statue of Bridget Jones as “delightful”, remarking, “I think, she’s far more charming than me.”

Zellweger was talking as the recently revealed statue honoring the beloved figure she embodied for over two decades was uncovered in the iconic London square on Monday.

Bridget Jones was introduced in the mid-1990s by writer Helen Fielding, and originally translated for the movies in the early 2000s. The latest installment debuted in recent months.

Talking at the reveal, Fielding did not dismiss taking her story further, stating you should “always keep options open.”

The star noted that people everywhere can see themselves in Bridget, which accounts for her huge appeal.

“It’s her openness, her humanity,” she said. “We recognise ourselves in her, we recognise ourselves in her challenges.

“It reassures us for the rest of us to be truly who we are. Flawed.”

The persona of Bridget Jones resonated deeply with many female hearts, who took comfort in her personal journey.

From her awkward work incidents, to her notorious granny pants, Bridget spoke to a age group who found a mirror in her—and has gained a new generation of Gen Z followers too.

The fourth film in the saga, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was debuted in early this year, and depicts Bridget navigating life as a single mother and tackling today’s relationships.

It received varied critiques, but achieved the highest cinema debut ever for a romantic comedy in the region, according to data.

The film was promoted as the final one in the saga—but speaking at the statue unveiling, two superfans, Faye and Wayne, said they were sure there would be a next chapter.

“There are so many things that were open-ended at the finale of the latest installment,” said Faye.

“Bridget keeps growing. I hope to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the later years,” remarked Wayne.

When asked about the prospect of a future story in Bridget Jones’ journey, Fielding said: “Never say never. Stories come to you as a author. So if a narrative appeared that I thought was authentic and compelling and fresh then I would develop it.”

Some think the floundering and imperfect protagonist, who’s preoccupied by her body image and relationship status, is not the ideal example.

And Fielding herself has acknowledged in the past that certain aspects of the narrative have not aged well.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary would be impossible to produce today, set now, because all those men in the office would be fired,” she said last year. “It was a really different time.”

But speaking on the unveiling day, she said she hoped the overarching idea of the novel would still resonate for audiences.

“Personally, to have the solace of observing a persona that you can connect with, because they are real and human and vulnerable, it’s like having the companion you can be true with,” she said.

The statue is the inaugural to commemorate a love story on the landmark’s public art trail.

The public art trail was introduced in 2020 with the installation of eight sculptures including classic duos, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.

Since then, statues of the boy wizard, the royal chair from Game of Thrones, the giant canine and the adventurer have been added.