Bridget Jones statue becomes permanent resident in Leicester Square: ‘It makes Londoners feel seen’ | film

A statue of Bridget Jones in London’s Leicester Square has gone a record 149 days without alcohol, cigarettes or ice cream – and her fast is set to be extended indefinitely.

Originally designed to be in place for three years, the bronze statue was unveiled in November and has now been given permanent residence opposite the Empire Casino and next to the toilets, where it joins the likes of Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Batman as part of Westminster Council’s Scenes in the Square initiative.

“For 25 years, Bridget has made Londoners laugh, cry and feel seen,” says Kirsty Tullett-Jones, Marketing and Communications Director at Discover Leicester Square. “The response to its arrival at Leicester Square has been amazing, showing how it continues to resonate with audiences today.

“With the track already celebrating the best films, it was only fitting to pay tribute to one of the most iconic romantic comedy characters of all time. Making Bridget a permanent fixture cements her place in Leicester Square and British cultural history.”

The statue was unveiled by the film’s stars Renee Zellweger and Sally Phillips, along with Helen Fielding, who created the character in the 1990s for a newspaper column. Fielding’s subsequent series of novels have been published in more than 40 countries, while the four films have grossed a combined $900 million (£683 million).

The news of the suspension of the statue’s ruling coincides with the return of the first film to cinemas, Bridget Jones’s Diary, which was released 25 years ago.

The fourth film, Mad About the Boy, was the second highest-grossing film in the UK last year, but went straight to streaming in the US – despite being nominated for an Emmy. The romantic comedy, which co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall, was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.

The film’s director, Michael Morris, was among those who attended the film’s unveiling last year to express hope that there would be another film in the series – although Fielding has not yet written a fifth novel.

The statue, which depicts the character holding a diary and pen, and wearing an open jacket that exposes her navel, is the first in the project to immortalize the romcom character.

Speaking in November, Zellweger hoped fans would rub her stomach for luck, and described her bare midriff as “so real.”