Bridget Jones Immortalized in Bronze: New Leicester Square Statue Celebrates British Rom-Com Icon

One of Britain’s most beloved fictional Londoners has taken her rightful place among cinema’s greatest characters. A new statue of Bridget Jones was unveiled in Leicester Square this week, marking 25 years since the neurotic, wine-loving, diary-keeping heroine first stumbled onto the big screen and into our hearts.

The bronze sculpture, part of Leicester Square’s popular Scenes in the Square film trail, shows Bridget in all her perfectly imperfect glory—standing proudly alongside other British icons like Harry Potter, Paddington Bear, and Mary Poppins. It’s the first statue on the trail dedicated to a romantic comedy character, a fitting tribute to a film that helped redefine the genre.

“She’s Much Cuter Than Me”

At Monday’s unveiling, Renée Zellweger—who has played Bridget across four films spanning more than two decades—called the statue “adorable,” adding with characteristic humility: “I think she’s much cuter than me.”

The Oscar-winning actress reflected on why Bridget resonates so deeply with audiences around the world: “It’s her vulnerability, her humanness. We recognize ourselves in her, we recognize ourselves in her struggles. It makes it OK for the rest of us to be authentically who we are. Imperfect.”

A Cultural Phenomenon

Created by author Helen Fielding in 1996 as a newspaper column, Bridget Jones became a literary sensation before making the leap to film in 2001. The character struck a chord with women who saw themselves in her embarrassing work mishaps, her battles with weight and self-image, and her hilariously disastrous romantic encounters. From the infamous granny pants to the legendary fights between Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy and Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver, Bridget Jones’s Diary became a touchstone of British popular culture.

The franchise has now spawned four films, with the most recent—Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy—released in February 2025. The film, which sees Bridget navigating life as a single mother in the modern dating world, achieved the best box office opening ever for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland.

More Stories to Tell?

While Mad About the Boy was billed as the final chapter, Fielding refused to close the door completely on Bridget’s future. When asked about the possibility of another installment, she told the BBC: “Never say never. Stories come to you as a writer. So if a story came to me that I thought was true and interesting and new then I would write it.”

Superfans attending the unveiling agreed there’s more of Bridget’s story left to tell. “Her character keeps evolving,” said one attendee. “I want to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the nursing home.”

Fielding acknowledged that some elements of the original stories haven’t aged perfectly—noting that “Bridget Jones’s Diary couldn’t be written now, set now, because all those men in the office would be sacked”—but maintained that the character’s emotional honesty remains relevant.

“I think to have the comfort of seeing a character that you can relate to, because they are real and human and emotionally honest, it’s like having the friend you can be honest with,” she said.

Finding Bridget in Leicester Square

The free Scenes in the Square trail launched in 2020 and has become a popular destination for film fans visiting London’s West End. Along with Bridget, visitors can spot statues of Laurel and Hardy, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Mr. Bean, Wonder Woman, Indiana Jones, and even the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones.

The Bridget Jones statue stands as a testament to a character who made it okay to be flawed, to struggle, and to occasionally wear enormous knickers. She’s a reminder that some of the best British exports aren’t just about stiff upper lips and royal protocol—they’re about real, messy, relatable humanity.

So next time you’re strolling through Leicester Square, raise a (very large) glass of Chardonnay to Bridget. Because as the saying goes, there’s a little bit of Bridget Jones in all of us.

The Scenes in the Square trail is free to visit year-round at Leicester Square in London’s West End.