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Renée Zellweger has praised the freshly installed statue of Bridget Jones as “endearing”, adding, “I think, she’s much cuter than me.”

Zellweger was talking as the new statue celebrating the character she portrayed for over two decades was unveiled in the iconic London square on the start of the week.

Bridget Jones was created in 1996 by writer Helen Fielding, and first adapted for the cinema in 2001. The newest movie debuted this past February.

Commenting at the ceremony, Fielding did not dismiss taking her story further, remarking you should “avoid closing doors.”

The star noted that audiences can see themselves in Bridget, which explains her huge appeal.

“It’s her vulnerability, her humanness,” she said. “We see our own reflections in her, we recognise ourselves in her struggles.

“It reassures us for the others to be genuinely who we are. Real.”

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

From her embarrassing work incidents, to her notorious granny pants, Bridget connected with a age group who saw themselves in her—and has gained a new generation of Gen Z followers too.

The new installment in the series, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, was debuted in February, and shows Bridget living as a single mother and facing modern dating.

It received varied critiques, but secured the best cinema debut ever for a romantic comedy in the UK and Ireland, according to industry sources.

The film was described as the last installment in the series—but reflecting at the ceremony, two dedicated followers, Faye and Wayne, said they were convinced there would be a follow-up.

“There are so many things that were not wrapped up at the finale of the latest installment,” said Faye.

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

When prompted about the prospect of a next installment in Bridget Jones’ journey, Fielding said: “The door is open. Inspiration emerge as a writer. So if a concept appeared that I thought was real and compelling and fresh then I would pursue it.”

Certain critics think the struggling and imperfect protagonist, who’s preoccupied by her appearance and love life, is not the strongest inspiration.

And Fielding personally has previously admitted that certain aspects of the narrative feel dated.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary would be impossible to produce today, set now, because all those male coworkers would be sacked,” she said in the past. “That was a distinct period.”

But speaking on the unveiling day, she said she hoped the broader theme of the book would continue to chime for readers.

“I think, to have the comfort of seeing a persona that you can identify with, because they are real and imperfect and emotionally honest, it’s like having the companion you can be true with,” she said.

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

The public art display originally launched in recently with the addition of multiple figures featuring classic duos, Mary Poppins, Batman, Bugs Bunny, Don Lockwood, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean and Wonder Woman.

In the time since, sculptures of Harry Potter, the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, the giant canine and the explorer have been installed.