This tearjerking scene was cut from Love Actually, and fans aren’t happy about it

Love Actually remains near and dear to our hearts nearly two decades later, and while we have the whole film memorised word for word, we’re always learning something new about the festive classic.

For example, director Richard Curtis explained that he regretted cutting the storyline involving two characters played by British acting icons Anne Reid and Frances de la Tour. While we all know and love the nine other intertwined stories involving actors such as Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon and Keira Knightley, the decision to boot Anne and Frances’ from the final cut is a decision Richard was none too happy about.

In the scene, Reid, who was meant to play a school headmistress, returns home from work to find Geraldine in bed – and it is immediately apparent that she is very unwell as she coughs and grimaces in pain. The scene then cuts to Emma Thompson‘s character, who is giving a speech in the school hall on behalf of Reid, who is sitting in the audience looking sad.

She says: “I’d just like to say to our headmistress, on behalf of all the parents, that we think it’s very brave her being here today in light of her recent loss. Geraldine was a wonderful and wicked woman, and sorrow is particularly hard at Christmas.”

In the clip, Richard says of his regret: “I was really sorry to lose this. The idea was meant to be that you just casually meet this very stern headmistress, but later on, in the film, we suddenly fell in with her, and you realise that, no matter how unlikely it seems, any character you come across in life has their own complicated tale of love.”