Real-Life Loves
Mad About Love! All About the ‘Bridget Jones’ Cast’s Real-Life Romances
Here we go again! Another Bridget Jones movie has made its way into the media landscape. In Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) is trying to move on from her true love, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). After his death, she dabbles in the world of dating.
She crosses paths with the younger Roxster (Leo Woodall). He is cheeky and very cute. But will the age gap be too much to bear? Another stud walks into the scene, Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), posing the question of who Bridget will ultimately choose.
Although none of that will be revealed before February 13, the stars of the latest film in the franchise have very interesting love lives of their own. Scroll down below to read all about the Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy cast’s romantic history!
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, February 13, Streaming on Peacock
Renée Zellweger
Zellweger’s dating history is quite iconic! From being engaged to Jim Carrey to being in a long-term relationship with costar Bradley Cooper to a short-lived marriage to Kenny Chesney, she knows how to live her life in the public eye.
Yet, it’s her current “fella” who really blew her away. Ant Anstead might be known for his Channel 4 automotive shows, but to fans of Bridget Jones, he is famous for capturing the lead’s heart.
The couple began dating in 2021 and are still going strong in 2025! Zellweger is the stepmom of his three kids. HGTV’s Christina Haack, who was married to Anstead from 2018 to 2020, praised Zellweger for being good to their son, Hudson.
Hugh Grant
Thrust into superstardom in the ’90s, Hugh Grant‘s love life has been all over the tabloids. Not the biggest fan of the media fanfare, the sarcastic Brit keeps his relationships a little more private than he did in his earlier days.
The actor, who reprises the role of Daniel Cleaver in the fourth Bridget Jones film, married Anna Eberstein at the Chelsea Register Office in 2018. This was the first time he ever tied the knot. Grant was 57 at the time.
The couple were first linked together in 2012. That same year, their son, John Mungo, arrived. Since then, they have welcomed, Lulu Danger and Blue.
The Notting Hill alum also has two kids with former partner Tinglan Hong — Tabitha Xiao Xi and Felix Chang Hong.
Colin Firth
Although Colin Firth is not physically in a lot of the scenes in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, his presence is still felt in the fourth installment.
Therefore, this list just had to include the Oscar winner! After finalizing his divorce from ex-wife Livia Giuggioli in 2019, Firth moved on with Maggie Cohn. The pair is rather private about their relationship, yet they are still presumed to be an item. Firth has two kids with Giuggioli: Luca and Matteo. He also has a son with Meg Tilly.
Sarah Solemani
Private couple Sarah Solemani and Daniel E. Ingram said “I do” in 2012. After more than a decade of marriage, the two are still happily in love.
They moved from London to LA with their three children in tow, according to her portfolio on Curtis Brown. Solemani plays Bridget’s friend, Miranda, in the film.
Sally Philips
Two years after her divorce from ex-husband Andrew Bermejo in 2017, actor-comedian Sally Phillips found love again. This time around with Ian Pilcher, a retired Army Officer.
Talking about her “second chance” at love at the Edinburgh Festival, she said, “My husband left me for a member of the Russian Yoga Federation, though I’m not legally allowed to say that anymore, but he won’t listen to this. Fortunately, my friend introduced me to Ian, and I’ve been with Ian for four years now. He’s to die for.”
The actress, who plays Shazzer, continued, “And actually, to be honest, when he kissed me – I’m going to overshare because comedians do that – when he kissed me, I did think of that line, “you need to be kissed a lot by someone who knows how”. So I’ve met someone who knows how to kiss.”
She has three sons with Bermejo.
Leo Woodall
After the premiere of The White Lotus Season 2, everyone became obsessed Woodall, and then he broke our hearts in One Day.
Sorry, ladies. The hunk is off the market! He’s been dating Meghann Fahy for years now. Woodall and Fahy never filmed scenes for the hit series together, but they met each other on the set of the show.
Since then, the two have tried to keep their relationship under wraps. Yet, they still get spotted by paparazzi and fans at times. The actors have occasionally posted glimpses of their romance on Instagram. So far, they have not posted close-up photos of their faces.
On January 7, 2025, Fahy shared a shadow picture of the duo kissing on the beach in the midst of her carousel. She cleverly captioned it, “Just making the cut for the last day Larry David says you can say happy new year!!”
Jim Broadbent
Beloved English actor Jim Broadbent, who plays Bridget’s father, has been married to his longtime love Anastasia Lewis since 1987. Lewis has two children from a previous relationship.
Josette Simon
Not much is known about Josette Simon‘s current love life. She was previously married to British tenor Mark Padmore. The former spouses have one daughter together.
Emma Thompson
Celebrating over two decades of marriage, Emma Thompson and Greg Wise know how to make a relationship last.
They met on the set of the 1995 Jane Austen adaptation Sense and Sensibility. Thompson played Elinor Dashwood, while Wise portrayed John Willoughby. (She plays Doctor Rawlings in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.)
According to Thompson, Wise had a “witchy” friend who told him that he would meet the love of his life while working on Sense and Sensibility.
Yet, he didn’t think it would be Thompson. “He assumed it wasn’t me because I was married and quite a lot older than him, so he thought it might be Kate [Winslet, Thompson and Wise’s costar on Sense & Sensibility],” she said during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show in 2021.
Winslet and Wise didn’t pan out, but the Titanic alum did send him in the right direction. Thompson continued, “Then, things happened that probably shouldn’t have happened, and it’s been 25 years in May [2021].”
The Love Actually actor credits Wise for helping her get through her divorce from Kenneth Branagh. They have two kids, Gaia and Tindyebwa “Tindy” Agaba. Thompson and Wise adopted Tindy in 2003. He was 16 at the time.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor is quite private when it comes to his love life. He is usually not one to confirm or deny whomever he is dating. However, since he became an item with Sacha Bertagnon in 2021, Ejiofor has started to fawn over her publicly.
In an interview with The Guardian, he described the owner of the dog and cat brand Le Wag as the greatest love of his life. He exclaimed that love feels as “as vital as breathing.”
