It feels like just yesterday Bridget was sliding down a fireman’s pole in a bunny outfit. Honestly, it wasn’t. It was 2001. Now, decades later, we’re all staring at the screen wondering: how old is Bridget Jones in the new movie, Mad About the Boy?
Time has a funny way of stretching in the "Bridget Cinematic Universe." In the original Bridget Jones’s Diary, she was the poster child for the "30-something" singleton. Specifically, she was 32. By the time we hit the fourth film, which landed in early 2025, she’s entered a whole new era of life.
The Specific Age of Bridget Jones in Mad About the Boy
In the new film, Bridget Jones is 51 years old. She isn't just a 51-year-old trying to figure out if she should wear big knickers or a thong anymore. She’s a 51-year-old widow. It’s a heavy reality that the movie hits you with right out of the gate. Mark Darcy—the man who liked her "just as she is"—is gone. He died four years prior to the main events of the film while on a humanitarian mission.
So, we find Bridget at 51, navigating the chaos of being a single mother to two school-aged kids, Billy and Mabel.
There’s some debate among fans because the math in these movies can be a bit... fuzzy. If you look back at Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), she was celebrating her 43rd birthday. If Billy is ten years old in the new movie, that would technically put her closer to 53. However, the screenplay—written by Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan—explicitly leans into the "51" figure. It matches the age Bridget was in Fielding’s 2013 novel of the same name.
Why her age matters for the plot
The number 51 isn't just a stat. It’s the entire engine of the story.
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The movie focuses heavily on the "age gap" relationship. Bridget, at 51, starts dating a man named Roxster, played by Leo Woodall (who you probably recognize from The White Lotus or One Day). Roxster is 29.
That’s a 22-year age difference.
It’s been a massive talking point. Renée Zellweger and Leo Woodall have both done the rounds in interviews defending the pairing. Zellweger told Elite Daily and The Independent that these kinds of relationships are "nothing new." Still, watching Bridget navigate Tinder and "ghosting" in her fifties provides a level of relatability that’s rare for Hollywood.
Comparing Bridget’s Age: Movie vs. Real Life
Renée Zellweger has grown up alongside this character, but they aren't perfectly in sync.
- Bridget's age: 51
- Renée Zellweger's age: 55 (at the time of the 2025 release)
Zellweger is about four years older than the version of Bridget she’s playing. It’s a refreshing change for an industry that usually casts 30-year-olds to play teenagers. Seeing a woman in her mid-50s play a woman in her early 50s shouldn't feel revolutionary, but in the rom-com world, it kinda is.
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The Age of the Supporting Cast
If you’re wondering how the rest of the gang is holding up, the timeline is equally interesting.
Daniel Cleaver—played by the eternally charming Hugh Grant—is supposed to be around 57 or 58. Remember, in the first movie, it was established that Mark Darcy was four years older than Bridget (the whole paddling pool story). This means if Mark were alive, he’d be 55. Daniel Cleaver, being a contemporary, sits right in that late-50s bracket.
Hugh Grant is actually 64. He’s playing a bit younger, which fits the "Daniel Cleaver" vibe of refusing to actually grow up.
A Timeline of Bridget’s Life
To really grasp how we got here, you have to look at the jump from the last film.
- Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001): Bridget is 32. She's counting calories and units of alcohol.
- The Edge of Reason (2004): Bridget is 35. Still a "singleton" at heart, even with Mark.
- Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016): Bridget turns 43. She gets pregnant and finally marries Mark Darcy.
- Mad About the Boy (2025): Bridget is 51. She’s a widow, a mother, and a "toyboy" dater.
That’s a 24-year journey for the audience. We've seen her through the "smug marrieds" phase, the "geriatric pregnancy" phase (her words, not mine), and now the "reinvention" phase.
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Is 51 the New 30 for Bridget?
The movie isn't just about being 51; it's about the technology of being 51.
In the books and the film, Bridget struggles with the modern dating landscape. She’s confused by Twitter (X), horrified by followers, and baffled by the etiquette of the "apps." It mirrors the 32-year-old Bridget who struggled with VCRs and soup makers.
The charm of Bridget Jones has always been that she’s a bit of a mess. Being 51 doesn't change that. She still makes mistakes. She still says the wrong thing at the wrong time. The only difference is that now she has the "wisdom" (and the wrinkles) that come with a half-century of living.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're planning a rewatch or heading to see the new movie, keep these details in mind to keep the timeline straight:
- Watch the 2016 film first: If you skip Bridget Jones’s Baby, the jump from "just married" to "widow with two kids" will be jarring.
- Focus on the kids: Billy is roughly 10 and Mabel is about 8. Their ages are the best way to track the passage of time since Mark's death.
- Check the release platform: Depending on where you live, the movie might be in theaters (like ODEON in the UK) or streaming exclusively on Peacock (in the US).
- Notice the parallels: Look for the ways 51-year-old Bridget mimics 32-year-old Bridget. The outfit choices and the diary entries are intentional callbacks.
The most important takeaway? Bridget Jones is 51, and she’s still figuring it out. That's probably why we still love her.
Next Steps for You: Check your local listings or Peacock subscription status to ensure you have access to Mad About the Boy. If you're a completionist, you might want to re-read the 2013 Helen Fielding novel to see how the movie changed the ending—some say the film version of Scott Walliker (the science teacher) plays a much bigger role in her "happily ever after" than he did on the page.