Richard Curtis has spoken with regret over the lack of diversity in his cult Christmas classic, Love Actually.

The director said: “My film is bound in some moments to feel out of date. The lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid.”

The 66-year-old revisited the film, which made $247m at the global box office, in an ABC special ahead of its 20-year anniversary.

He said he was pleased that the film industry and wider society is changing to represent diverse narratives better, adding: “There is such extraordinary love that goes on every minute in so many ways, all the way around the world, and makes me wish my film was better.”

Love Actually was nominated for three BAFTAs and two Golden Globes when it was released in 2003.

The film has no LGBTQ+ couples in its narrative, which shows ten different interconnected stories about love.

A story about a lesbian romance, portrayed by Anne Reid and Frances de la Tour, was originally filmed but later removed.

This was one of four written stories that were cut.

There is one main character of colour, Peter, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Richard concluded by saying that in a film about the many forms of love, he has regrets about its limited representation.