LONDON:

‘Bridget Jones’ has joined the ranks of ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Harry Potter’, and other iconic film characters with her own statue in London’s Leicester Square.

Oscar winner Renee Zellweger, who has played Bridget in all four films, attended Monday’s unveiling, marking 25 years since the release of the first movie, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’.

“It’s pretty crazy. It’s kind of strange. It’s not something you… ever expect… it’s quite a surprise,” Zellweger told Reuters. Asked about the statue, which depicts Bridget with her hair tied back, wearing a mini skirt and holding a pen and diary, she said: “I mean, she’s adorable… she’s really cute. Looks like Bridget to me.”

Author Helen Fielding created Bridget Jones more than 30 years ago for a newspaper column exploring the character’s love life. Her first book, ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’, was published in 1996, followed by three sequels.

The 2001 film adaptation starred Zellweger alongside Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, with ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’ (2004), ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ (2016), and ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ (2025) completing the franchise.

“My daughter’s generation now likes Bridget, and that means a huge amount to me,” Fielding said, reflecting on the character’s enduring appeal. The statue is part of the Scenes in the Square trail in Leicester Square, launched in 2020, which also features sculptures of Laurel and Hardy, Batman, and other film icons.