Deleted scene in 'Love Actually' could have helped prevent major criticism of movie

Love Actually might be one of the most quintessential Christmas films in existence, but it has not been without its criticisms - and it turns out that a deleted scene could have helped prevent one of the biggest.

Despite featuring nine intertwining love stories, the 2003 movie doesn't feature one same-sex couple.

However, it turns out that Love Actually was originally shot with a storyline involving a lesbian relationship.

The scene which didn't make the final cut involved British soap actress Anne Reid and her terminally-ill girlfriend, who was portrayed by Rising Damp actress Frances de la Tour.

Reid played the headmistress at the school which put on the nativity play and, of course, the incredible rendition of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'.

Watch the deleted lesbian scene below: 

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The film's writer/director, Richard Curtis, said he was "really sorry" that the same-sex storyline had to be cut, however, he explained that it was done because a scene with Emma Thompson and her son at school was also removed from the film, and therefore it wouldn't have made any sense afterward.

In an interview on the DVD extras, Curtis said: "The idea was meant to be that you just casually met this very sort of stern headmistress who you would just think, 'There's a stern headmistress'.

"And the idea was meant to be that later on in the film, 15 minutes later, we suddenly fell in with the headmistress and you realize that, no matter how unlikely it seems, that any character that you come across in life has their own complicated tale of love."

Is this the most romantic moment in any Christmas movie? We think so: 

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In the heartbreaking deleted scene, Reid's character arrives home from school and greets her terminally ill partner who is in bed.

Before Reid leaves to make dinner, the couple have some light-hearted fun together.

The couple are also seen in bed together, with Reid comforting her partner as she coughs.

Karen (Emma Thompson) can be seen in another scene addressing the crowd at the school production, in which she praises the headmistress for being brave enough to turn up in spite of her "recent loss".

She says: "Geraldine was a wonderful and wicked woman and sorrow is particularly hard at Christmas."

Damn! These scenes would have made the movie SO much better for so many reasons. It's a shame they cut them.