Renee Zellweger has said she relates to Bridget Jones because she has made "bad choices" in her own life.

The Hollywood actress is back as the beloved singleton in Bridget Jones's Baby.

The third movie in the franchise finds heroine Bridget unexpectedly pregnant and unsure who is the father of the child.

Zellweger, 47, told Radio Times that people respond to the character because everybody occasionally makes the wrong decisions.

She said: "I've been naive over the years, and I've said silly things, and I've made bad choices in all areas of my life.

"That's why Bridget is so relatable. We all make mistakes but we just get on with it."

Zellweger, who was briefly married to American singer Kenny Chesney in 2005, said being an adult means realising that conventional ideals do not apply to everyone.

She said: "You spend the early part of your life thinking it's all going to come together, and you're going to figure it out by a certain age. And then you suddenly realise that's just not true.

"Women traditionally have this battle to be married and start a family by a certain age but have a fulfilling career as well."

Zellweger also said she still feels young at heart.

She said: "Adulthood is a myth. I'm still 19, really. I haven't grown up."

Bridget Jones's Baby is released in the UK on September 16.