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The Oscar-winning actress has described the new statue of Bridget Jones as “endearing”, remarking, “Personally, she’s a lot sweeter than me.”

Zellweger was commenting as the new statue celebrating the beloved figure she played for more than 20 years was unveiled in London’s Leicester Square on Monday.

Bridget Jones was first imagined in the mid-1990s by writer Helen Fielding, and first adapted for the big screen in 2001. The latest installment was released in recent months.

Talking at the reveal, Fielding did not dismiss continuing the series, remarking you should “avoid closing doors.”

The star added that everyone can see themselves in Bridget, which accounts for her massive popularity.

“Her openness, her authenticity,” she said. “We see our own reflections in her, we relate in her journeys.

“It makes it OK for the everyone else to be genuinely who we are. Imperfect.”

The character of Bridget Jones touched many women’s hearts, who found solace in her personal journey.

From her awkward work mishaps, to her infamous granny pants, Bridget connected with a demographic who identified in her—and has attracted a new generation of younger fans too.

The latest movie in the saga, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was released in February, and sees Bridget living as a single mother and exploring modern dating.

It earned divided opinions, but achieved the best theatrical launch ever for a rom-com in the UK and Ireland, according to data.

The film was promoted as the final one in the series—but speaking at the statue unveiling, two longtime enthusiasts, Faye and Wayne, said they were convinced there would be a next chapter.

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

“Bridget keeps evolving. I’d love to be with Bridget Jones all the way to the retirement home,” added Wayne.

When questioned about the chance of a next installment in Bridget Jones’ journey, Fielding said: “Never say never. Stories arrive as a writer. So if a story came to me that I thought was true and compelling and original then I would write it.”

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

And Fielding personally has noted earlier that some parts of the series have not aged well.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary would be impossible to produce now, written in this era, because all those male coworkers would be sacked,” she said in the past. “That was a completely other era.”

But speaking on the unveiling day, she said she wished the overarching idea of the book would still resonate for fans.

“I think, to have the comfort of observing a character that you can connect with, because they are authentic and human and vulnerable, it’s like having the companion you can be true with,” she said.

The sculpture is the inaugural to celebrate a romantic comedy on Leicester Square’s Scenes in the Square trail.

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

After that, figures of the wizard hero, the iconic seat from Game of Thrones, the beloved dog and the explorer have been included.