A Bridget Jones star swore live on television during a special ceremony with her castmates. The star-studded cast of the Bridget Jones franchise were out at Leicester Square on 17 November for the unveiling of a bronze statue in the likeness of Renée Zellweger's iconic titular character, Bridget Jones. Sally Phillips, who plays Bridget's friend Sharon - or Shazza - gave a speech to introduce her castmates at the ceremony, which took a surprising turn with one single word.
In the BBC's live coverage, one moment captured Sally, 55, dropping an expletive mid-speech in front of the gathered crowd. "Everyone’s favourite romcom heroine, Bridget Jones - I think she [the statue] should have gone up before Paddington, what do you think?" the actress said. At one point in the footage, Sally proclaimed: "Thank [explicit], to which the BBC journalist apologised for her language. The swear was very apt given her on-screen character Shazza's love of swearing. The first time we're introduced to Shazza, she drops several F-bombs in the one sentence. Bridget then tells the audience: "Shazza. Journalist. Likes to say [explicit]. A lot."
Sally dressed up for the ceremony in a silky blouse and blazer. She was joined at the event by the franchise's leading lady Renée, as well as by actors Leo Woodall and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who both starred in the latest Bridget Jones instalment, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. The 2025 film's director Michael Morris and Helen Fielding, author of the Bridget Jones books, also made an appearance on the pink carpet in London. The stars all posed together for pictures with the bronze statue in the background.
The statue joins the likes of fictional television icons Harry Potter and Paddington Bear as part of the famous The Scenes in the Square trail. The Bridget Jones statue comes 24 years after the release of the first film in the franchise, Bridget Jones' Diary in 2001, which notably starred Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. The franchise has four films in total as of 2025.
The latest Bridget Jones film came out this year
The most recent Bridget Jones film, titled Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, came out earlier this year in February 2025. The film followed Bridget's character dipping her toes back into the dating pool after her husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) died. The cast embarked on a worldwide press tour for the film, including a starry premiere in London. For the London event, Renée wore a pink archival Pierre Balmain Couture gown from 2000..