The Lady Magazine

16 September 2016

Dear Readers When asked recently about the inspiration for her original Bridget Jones’s Diary, writer Helen Fielding said it owed a great deal to Jane Austen’s glorious inventions, in particular her icy, romantic hero, Mr Darcy. And when it came to casting the role for film, who else could have played him except Colin Firth? After all, who can forget him emerging from the lake in the TV adaptation of Pride And Prejudice? Ahead of a new film, where the hapless but adorable Bridget finds herself pregnant, Colin Firth explains why Darcy is so appealing to play and Renée Zellweger (aka Bridget) tells us what he’s like in real life. For anyone who has their hopes up, he is happily married! Jilly Cooper is no stranger to romantic heroes and her legions of fans everywhere (I am in that queue) will be utterly delighted to discover that for her new novel she has brought back the irresistible character, Rupert Campbell-Black. Is he still a cad with flameproof charisma now that he is a silver fox, or has life tamed him? Certainly his public school education will have taught him never to tell. For those concerned with discovering what else our young ones should be learning, our 20-page Independent Schools Special will prove indispensable. Perhaps they may have some tips for our new cheeky office dog, Miss Darcy Bustle? Until next week, best wishes, Sam Taylor