THIS week I, along with many people in the world with access to the web, asked myself an important question: what the hell happened to Bridget Jones’s face?

The actress who played our loveable Bridge, Renee Zellweger, appeared on a red carpet with what could only be described as someone else’s face.

Indeed the captions accompanying the pictures had to promise us this was definitely Zellweger, so utterly different did she look.

I spent some time (more time than I should, it’s true) scrolling through the Before and After pictures. But it’s the space between those which is really the interesting bit.

Naturally, we immediately think: cosmetic surgery. The last time we saw a transformation quite like this, Michael Jackson was telling us that it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, while changing the colour of his skin. At least, that’s what it seemed like, despite his numerous denials. What is it that makes a person want to change their look so dramatically?

We may all like to lose a bit of weight, or enlarge other parts of ourselves or have a slightly different shaped mouth or nose but we surely don’t want to fundamentally change how we look, do we? I may from time to time utter that if I could look like anyone, I’d look like Angelina Jolie, but if it came down to it, I really wouldn’t change.

My face in the morning can be pretty terrifying but not as terrifying as waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and NOT seeing this face.

It’s not supermodel material but it is ME – and I don’t mind me. Or at least, I understand that to find true happiness with myself I have to aim for not minding me. Part of the joy of Zellweger’s beloved character, Bridget Jones, was that she was imperfect but loveable nevertheless.

There was hope for all of us there.

If the change is due to cosmetic surgery, it’s not a question of what the hell happened to Renee’s face but rather what the hell happened to her self-esteem.

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