Hugh Grant is reprising his role as love rat Daniel Cleaver in the new Bridget Jones movie – but revealed it almost didn’t happen.

The 64-year-old Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral star appeared in the first two movies starring opposite Renee Zellweger’s Bridget as he fought Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, for her affections.

He was missing from the third film after Daniel’s character appeared to have died in a plane crash, but in final scenes viewers discovered he had miraculously been found alive. At the same time, Bridget seemed to have got her happily ever after getting married and having a baby with Mark.

But Hugh warned audiences not to expect too many laugh out loud moments from the new film, which will be released on Valentine’s Day 2025. Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, he said: “It’s actually a very good and moving script, and I say that as someone who is horrid about scripts.

“Because Helen Fielding [Bridget Jones author] had a sad story. She got married to an American screenwriter and they had children, then he died, and she raised the children by herself. Then she started writing a novel about a woman raising children by herself with a dead father and husband. She realised the character was a bit like Bridget, so made it into a Bridget Jones book. As well as being extremely funny, it’s very, very sad.”

Will Bridget and Daniel rekindle their romance in Bridget Jones 4? ( 
Image:
Universal Pictures)
When it came to writing Daniel Cleaver back into the movie, that was a bit harder. Hugh shared: “There was absolutely no role for Daniel Cleaver, as far as I could see, but they wanted to cram me in. So we sat down together.

“I’m quite difficult these days and I felt what they proposed was fine, but not great. I felt he needed a third dimension. He’s in his 60s now, he can’t just be making his way down the King’s Road eyeing up young girls. So they invented – well, I invented – a rather good interim story.”

Though he stopped short of revealing further details of what becomes of Daniel, fans already know some of the upcoming storyline for Bridget. Sadly Mark – like writer Helen’s husband in real life – dies in the film, so it’s a new chapter for Bridget as she navigates life as a widow.

But we know it will focus on Bridget as a single mum trying to get the knack of dating apps. And she bags herself a toy boy in the latest film – or at least dates one. Pictures from filming around London, show Bridget with her younger lover called Rockstar, played by 28-year-old One Day and White Lotus star Leo Woodall.

She is also set to have a fling with PE teacher Mr Walker, played by 12 Years A Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. And fans could be rooting for her to revive her on-off romance with Daniel Cleaver, but will have to wait and see what happens when the movie comes out on February 14.