Nicole Kidman urges Renée Zellweger to put on weight

Hollywood beauty Nicole Kidman has urged pal Renée Zellweger to put on weight - and is calling her everyday to ensure she eats and doesn't overexercise.

Nicole, concerned by her pal's fragile appearance, has reportedly ordered the Bridget Jones star to gain 10lb by the end of April.

Nicole - who has battled with her own weight in the past - has turned over a new leaf since falling pregnant with her first child, preferring to be healthy rather than skinny.

A source close to Nicole - who was saddened by Zellweger's frail appearance before the Oscars last month - said: "Nicole was lost for words when she and Renée met up in Los Angeles the Friday before the Oscars for a bite to eat.

"Although they're in regular contact by phone it's been a few months since they got together in person.

"During that time, Renée's been working out like a fiend.

"The muscles around her shoulders are bulging, her arms are veiny and popping with muscle and her clothes hang off her body.

"She doesn't have an ounce of fat on her.

"Nicole was so concerned that she ordered on Renée's behalf, telling the waiter to bring a cheeseburger with fries - even though Renée had just ordered a salad for herself."

Nicole - who has been friends with Renée, 38, since she starred with her then husband Tom Cruise in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire - told her straight that she believes she is overdoing it at the gym in order to compensate for her lack of a love life.

Nicole has seen Renée's weight yo-yo in recent years; ever since she was forced to pile on the pounds for her role in the 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and following her break-ups with previous lovers, including Kenny Chesney and Jack White.

"The difference now is that Renée's love life is totally dead," the friend tells Britain's Now Magazine in its latest issue. "Her whole life is working and working out.

"In Nicole's view, Renée is taking exercise too seriously."

When Nicole told Renée she needed to eat more, the actress laughed it off, insisting her weight loss was down to the "usual dieting" every actress does before the prestigious Oscars ceremony.

Nicole, 40, has now launched a plan of action to help her pal gain weight - and is urging the star to gain at least 10lb by April.

"She gives Renée little nudges hinting that she'll find a boyfriend when she gains some weight," the source says of Nicole - who is calling Renée on a daily basis to ensure she is eating properly. "Nicole keeps telling Renée: 'Men like woman with a bit of meat on their bones'."

"Hopefully when she's a bit more relaxed about her shape, she'll find a man."

When contacted for comment, Renée's rep, Leslie Sloane insisted, "There is no story here."