Renee Zellweger says Bridget Jones has been a ‘blessing’ as statue is unveiled

Actress Renee Zellweger has said her role as Bridget Jones in the film franchise of the same name has been a “pretty big blessing”, as a statue of her character was unveiled.

The figure was revealed on Monday in London’s Leicester Square as part of the Scenes In The Square trail, which features statues of movie characters such as Harry Potter, Batman, Paddington, Wonder Woman and Mary Poppins in the capital’s film centre.

Speaking at the unveiling, the 56-year-old US actress told the PA news agency: “There’s an extended family that has built up around the experience of making these films and also, I have something in common with people that I meet all around the world.

“We all sort of share an affinity for Bridget, because she makes us feel seen, that’s a pretty big blessing.”

The statue shows Zellweger’s character clutching her diary, and is the first to honour a romantic comedy in the square.

The author of the books behind the films, Helen Fielding, said: “For Bridget to be honoured as a British icon with her own statue alongside Paddington Bear, Mary Poppins and Admiral Lord Nelson – all right, he’s down the road a bit – is a huge thrill and reason for everyone to raise a glass of Chardonnay to being ‘just as you are’.

“I am touched and delighted for Bridget and Renee and hope that Bridget’s mummy pants will ensure a sleek silhouette for this exciting statue unveiling.”

The film series began life as an anonymous column called Bridget Jones’s Diary in The Independent newspaper in 1995, written by Fielding, intended to appear as an actual personal diary of a single woman in her 30s. It spawned four novels.

There have been four film adaptions in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), which have earned more than £640 million worldwide, while a fourth movie, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, was released earlier this year.

The latest film takes place four years after the death of Bridget’s husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), and sees her readjust to the single life.

The Scenes In The Square trail can be followed by a free audio walking tour narrated by TV presenter Alex Zane, with more information available on the Leicester Square website.