Bridget Jones to have statue in Leicester Square

Bridget Jones was created by author Helen Fielding, and has since been adapted for film, played by Renée Zellweger

Bridget Jones is to be celebrated with a new statue in London's Leicester Square.

The fictional character will join the likes of Harry Potter and Paddington in the Scenes in the Square trail, which was launched in February 2020 to celebrate a century of cinema.

The statue will become the first to honour a romantic comedy, and will be unveiled in mid-November to mark 25 years since the release of the first Bridget Jones film.

Bridget Jones was created in 1996 by author Helen Fielding, and first adapted for the big screen in 2001, with Bridget played by Renée Zellweger. The fourth film in the franchise was released in January.

Ms Fielding said she was "touched and delighted" for Bridget to be honoured as a "British icon".

"I hope that Bridget's mummy pants will ensure a sleek silhouette for this statue," she added.

The statue will be the first to celebrate a rom com on Leicester Square's Scenes in the Square trail

The Scenes in the Square trail originally launched in 2020 with the introduction of eight sculptures featuring Laurel and Hardy, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.

Since then, statues of Harry Potter, the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Indiana Jones have been added.

The most recent addition last October honoured Daniel Kaluuya's character Chris Washington, from the horror film Get Out.

The trail aims to emphasise Leicester Square's heritage as the heart of British cinema, having hosted its first film premiere in 1937.

Kirsty Tullett-Jones, director of marketing and communications for Discover Leicester Square, said it was "about time we added a rom com statue to the line-up".

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Baby was the fourth film in the franchise, and was released in January

The franchise's fourth and final film, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, had its premiere in Leicester Square in January.

Michael Morris, who directed the film, said: "Bridget has always belonged in London - her mess, her magic, her heart.

"To see her immortalised in the middle of the city she's stumbled through and loved so fiercely, feels like the perfect love letter to her and to everyone who's ever cheered her on."