Richard Curtis has finally married his partner Emma Freud after 33 years at the broadcaster and two failed engagements.
The 66-year-old Love Actually and the Notting Hill maker’s secret wedding was only revealed when Emma, 61, revealed the news on Saturday at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in Gloucestershire while interviewing actor Richard E. Grant, 66 .
Richard was also pictured at the event wearing a gold ring on his wedding finger, which guests said he kept fiddling with.
An onlooker told The Sun: “Emma confessed she had finally made a mistake during an interview with Richard E. Grant. ‘She said they had been married for four weeks.’
They added it was clear she shouldn’t have said anything as she apparently put her finger to her lips and made a “weird noise that made everyone laugh” after mentioning that she and Richard were married.
Newlyweds! Richard Curtis has reportedly tied the knot with his partner of 33 years, Emma Freud, after two failed marriage proposals (pictured in 2022).
Couple: The screenwriter, known for his great romantic comedies such as “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill”, has been with presenter and director Emma Freud for over three decades and has four children together
The source said: “It’s not surprising that Emma wanted to talk about it, though.”
“They have been together for over 30 years, so it was time for them to get married.”
She reportedly tried to change the subject, but it was “the talk of the festival.”
Emma has proposed to Richard twice – but neither attempt was successful as he refused the first time and overslept the second time.
Richard also revealed at the festival that he would never again include “fat” jokes in his films and regretted that they were not more diverse.
He made the admission when asked on stage by his 28-year-old daughter Scarlett about the criticism he has received over the years that the cast of his romantic comedies are almost entirely white.
Scarlett highlighted the lack of diversity in his 1999 film Notting Hill, despite being set in one of London’s most multicultural areas.
Richard said: “I wish I had been ahead of the curve.” I think because I came from a very non-diverse school and had lots of university friends, I think I held on to the feeling that I wouldn’t know how to writes these parts.
Romance: Emma, 61, reportedly opened up about her big day during an interview with Richard E. Grant at the Cheltenham Literary Festival (pictured in 2018).
Lovebirds: Filmmaker Richard was also at the event and was pictured wearing a gold ring on his wedding finger, which observers said he “continued to fiddle with” (pictured 2019)
“I think I was just stupid and made a mistake.”
“I felt like I, my casting director, my producers were just not looking out.”
Ms. Zellweger told British Vogue in 2016 that she never understood Bridget Jones’ fascination with weight.
“Bridget is a completely normal weight and I never understood why that was so important,” she said. “No male actor would face such scrutiny if they did the same thing for a role.” In the film, the character is described as having a “butt the size of Brazil.”
Curtis also spoke of regretting not having a black character in Notting Hill and “not being ahead of the curve”, but that his work was never intentionally intended to cause harm.
But he defended himself by saying he wrote a gay couple in the 1994 film “Four Weddings and a Funeral.”
Curtis said he felt “stupid and wrong” for thinking he couldn’t write about these parts because of his “very diverse school” and “a group of university friends.”
He said: “I felt like I, my casting director, my producers were just not looking out.”
Curtis was born in Wellington, New Zealand and lived in Sweden and the Philippines before moving to the UK at the age of 11 where he was educated in Harrow. He then earned a first-class Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford.
Making a change: Richard also revealed at the festival that he would never put “fat” jokes in his films again and regretted that they weren’t more diverse after being quizzed on the subject by daughter Scarlett (pictured).
Times are changing: the weight of Renée Zellweger’s character Bridget Jones was discussed in the hit film from 2001
Last November, reflecting on the film’s 20th anniversary, he admitted that Love Indeed’s lack of diversity now makes him feel “uncomfortable” and “a bit stupid.”
Speaking to host Diane Sawyer for the ABC special The Laughter and Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, he said the 2003 Christmas classic was “dated” in some moments.
“There are things you would change, but thank God society is changing. So my film is bound to feel dated at some moments,” he said.
“I mean, there are things about the film, you know, the lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a little bit stupid.”
Scarlett has previously spoken about the “long line of very dodgy men” in her family, with her maternal relatives marred by controversy and scandal.
Famous Footsteps: Scarlett Curtis, 28, made her TV writing debut this year in the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s teen romance The Summer I Turned Pretty
Moving with the times: Curtis previously admitted that the lack of diversity in the 2003 Christmas classic Love Actually makes him feel “uncomfortable” and “a bit stupid.”
“There’s a long line of very shady men in my family,” she said in a 2019 interview with the Daily Telegraph.
“That’s why I’m such a feminist, trying to make amends for the sins of fathers.”
She told how the family avoided talking about her “sexist” great-great-grandfather Sigmund’s childhood.
She said, “My grandpa.” [Clement] We had a really complicated relationship and we were forbidden to mention Sigmund because he was so obsessed with going it alone. Mom wasn’t interested. As a child I actively looked after him.’