'I wrote Bridget Jones' Diary and there's one major problem with the film today'

Now, almost 30 years on from the creation of Bridget Jones, you can watch a tell-all BBC documentary about the making of one of Britain's most loved characters and the real woman behind the diary. Being Bridget Jones follows Helen Fielding, the creator of the series of novels, marking the 25th anniversary of Bridget, ahead of the recent release, Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy, five years later. The documentary reveals how Fielding came to write the books that would go on to become Oscar-nominated films.

Not only do you get to know the real woman behind the on-screen one, but you gain insight into the behind-the-scenes and reception of the film from various talking heads such as Hugh Grant, Andrew Marr and Germaine Greer. Much like Fielding's tone throughout the books, the documentary is full of sarcasm and wit. The narration pokes fun at the book and film series with a tongue-in-cheek introduction stating: “This is the story of how an anxious, calorie-obsessed, usually p***** woman in her 30s changed the world .



” It takes you on a journey from Helen Fielding's own middle-class upbringing, similar to that of Bridget Jones, and mishaps in her TV career as she navigated the industry before her success. It becomes apparent that behind the Bridget Jones' character there is a lot from the writer’s personal life as she pulls out an old notebook from her university years, saying, “This is really the original Bridget Jones Diary.” The documentary also explains how Renée Zellweger became the face of Bridget Jones, despite not being British.

“Casting Bridget was quite a scary thing, and we decided in the end to go for a Texan,” a creator of the films explains, adding, “so there was much uproar in the tabloids at the time.” Hugh Grant details the first time he heard Renée read the script as Bridget. He said she "did quite a good British accent, but she was Princess Margaret.

She thought she better loosen it up a bit". And fans are loving the juicy behind the scenes details. One Bridget fan at the time took to X to write: “If you ask me, Being Bridget Jones is one of the best documentaries ever made.

” Another happy viewer said: "Ahhhh, Being Bridget Jones really is as good as everyone says. A quite perfect documentary,” as another added: “This documentary was brilliant and just made me fall in love with Bridget and Hugh Grant even more”, also adding that there’s “lots of nostalgia for the 90s.” While embracing the success of the film series, the documentary about the making of the hit film series doesn’t fail to mention the mishaps and downfalls of the change in culture since its inception.

For example, the workplace sexual harassment that is brushed over, to which Fielding confessed that she doesn’t think the first film could be made today. The Guardian praised the documentary for not beating around the bush when it came to these topics, writing: “The conversations here are as smart as they are funny. There is a proper discussion about the genre of “chick lit” and snobby attitudes towards women’s writing about women’s lives.

” Luckily for Bridget Jones fans who missed its initial debut, Being Bridget Jones is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer ..