Bridget Jones author closes the book on Starmer theory

SIR Keir Starmer is not the inspiration for Bridget Jones’ love interest Mark Darcy, the book’s author has suggested.

Helen Fielding, who created the Bridget Jones character, portrayed by Renée Zellweger in the film adaptations, has denied Colin Firth’s character is based on the Labour leader following repeated speculation.

The best-selling novelist was rumoured to have based the fictional human rights lawyer on Sir Keir, who is five years her junior, with the politician admitting theories have been “doing the rounds for years”.

In an apparent attempt to push the link, some have pointed out that Fielding and the Labour leader both attended the University of Oxford and lived in Leeds at some stage in their earlier lives.

But speaking to Desert Island Discs,

Ms Fielding appeared to reject the association between them.

She said: “It’s amazing the number of people that lay claim to be Daniel (Hugh Grant’s character) or Mark, including Keir Starmer. I had several different boyfriends, all very gorgeous.”

Fielding told the BBC Radio 4 show that she created the singleton character of Bridget Jones when “the image of a single girl in her 30s had not caught up with the reality of it”.

She said: “It was hard. It still is hard for girls in their 30s.”

Desert Island Discs is on BBC Radio 4 at 11am today, as well as on BBC Sounds.