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Renée Zellweger has described the new statue of Bridget Jones as “adorable”, explaining, “In my opinion, she’s far more charming than me.”

The actress was speaking as the new statue honoring the character she portrayed for more than 20 years was unveiled in the iconic London square on the start of the week.

Bridget Jones was created in 1996 by author Helen Fielding, and first adapted for the movies in 2001. The newest movie was released earlier this year.

Commenting at the reveal, Fielding refused to rule out continuing the series, stating you should “never say never.”

The star explained that people everywhere can connect with Bridget, which highlights her massive popularity.

“Her openness, her authenticity,” she said. “We recognise ourselves in her, we relate in her journeys.

“It makes it OK for the rest of us to be genuinely who we are. Flawed.”

The figure of Bridget Jones resonated deeply with many women’s hearts, who took comfort in her ups and downs.

From her embarrassing work incidents, to her iconic granny pants, Bridget connected with a demographic who saw themselves in her—and has attracted a fresh wave of younger fans too.

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

It earned varied critiques, but achieved the strongest cinema debut ever for a rom-com in the region, according to reports.

The film was promoted as the conclusion in the franchise—but commenting at the event, two longtime enthusiasts, Faye and Wayne, said they were certain there would be a follow-up.

“There are so many things that were not wrapped up at the conclusion of the recent movie,” said Faye.

“Her character keeps evolving. I hope to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the nursing home,” said Wayne.

When prompted about the prospect of a next installment in Bridget Jones’ story, Fielding said: “Anything is possible. Inspiration emerge as a writer. So if a concept came to me that I thought was true and compelling and original then I would write it.”

A few commentators think the imperfect and imperfect heroine, who’s fixated with her weight and relationship status, is not the strongest inspiration.

And Fielding personally has previously admitted that certain aspects of the series seem less relevant today.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary couldn’t be written in the present day, written in this era, because all those men in the office would be sacked,” she said in the past. “That was a really different time.”

But reflecting on the unveiling day, she said she aspired the broader theme of the book would remain relevant for fans.

“Personally, to have the reassurance of seeing a figure that you can connect with, because they are authentic and flawed and vulnerable, it’s like having the companion you can be true with,” she said.

The statue is the pioneering to honor a love story on the square’s Scenes in the Square exhibit.

The cinema sculpture trail was introduced in 2020 with the introduction of multiple figures including comedy legends, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.

After that, sculptures of Harry Potter, the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, the giant canine and the adventurer have been included.