Renée Zellweger declares freshly unveiled Bridget Jones statue is “adorable”, adding, “It’s cuter than me.”

The Oscar-winning actress has praised the new statue of Bridget Jones as “delightful”, adding, “In my opinion, she’s a lot sweeter than me.”

Zellweger was commenting as the new statue celebrating the character she embodied for more than 20 years was uncovered in London’s Leicester Square on the start of the week.

Bridget Jones was created in 1996 by author Helen Fielding, and initially brought for the big screen in the early 2000s. The newest movie came out this past February.

Talking at the unveiling, Fielding refused to rule out taking her story further, stating you should “avoid closing doors.”

The star explained that people everywhere can see themselves in Bridget, which explains her enduring charm.

“It’s her openness, her authenticity,” she said. “We identify in her, we connect in her struggles.

“It reassures us for the others to be authentically who we are. Imperfect.”

The persona of Bridget Jones touched many women’s hearts, who found solace in her ups and downs.

From her awkward work blunders, to her notorious granny pants, Bridget resonated with a generation who saw themselves in her—and has attracted a fresh wave of younger fans too.

The latest movie in the saga, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was launched in February, and sees Bridget living as a solo parent and exploring today’s relationships.

It received divided opinions, but secured the best box office opening ever for a rom-com in the UK and Ireland, according to data.

The film was billed as the final one in the series—but reflecting at the ceremony, two superfans, Faye and Wayne, said they were convinced there would be a follow-up.

“There were so many things that were left unresolved at the finale of the latest installment,” said Faye.

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

When asked about the chance of a future story in Bridget Jones’ saga, Fielding said: “Anything is possible. Stories emerge as a author. So if a concept was inspired that I thought was authentic and compelling and original then I would write it.”

Some think the floundering and human heroine, who’s preoccupied by her body image and love life, is not the ideal example.

And Fielding herself has previously admitted that elements of the story have not aged well.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary would be impossible to produce today, set now, because all those male coworkers would be fired,” she said previously. “That was a completely other era.”

But reflecting on the unveiling day, she said she hoped the wider message of the novel would still resonate for fans.

“Personally, to have the comfort of seeing a figure that you can identify with, because they are authentic and flawed and open, it’s like having the confidante you can be real with,” she said.

The sculpture is the pioneering to commemorate a rom com on Leicester Square’s public art walk.

The Scenes in the Square display was introduced in 2020 with the installation of eight sculptures featuring comedy legends, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.

In the time since, figures of the boy wizard, the royal chair from Game of Thrones, the giant canine and the explorer have been included.