Love Actually Fans Left Howling As Ludicrous Deleted Airport Scene Resurfaces

This would certainly have changed the tone of that dramatic final scene.
Love Actually's famous airport scene
Love Actually's famous airport scene
Moviestore/Shutterstock

This article was first published in December 2020.

Fans of the festive classic Love Actually have been left howling over a deleted scene from the film that has started doing the rounds on social media.

Anyone who treated themselves to a Love Actually rewatch in the last few weeks will remember the tense scene towards the end of the film, in which schoolboy Sam runs through Heathrow Airport to declare his love for classmate Joanna.

Well, as a newly-resurfaced deleted scene has revealed, the scene almost looked very different.

It turns out that Sam was originally supposed to be a promising gymnast, so as he navigated his way through the airport, he was supposed to put his skills to use, and do an incredible backflip over a barrier.

The stunt was even filmed but eventually abandoned, and while the footage was originally revealed in 2013, many fans of Love Actually are only discovering it now, and it’s sparked a pretty big reaction


i was today years old when I saw the airport deleted scene from love actually. this is the funniest thing ever and they should have kept it in the movie. i can’t with the adult stunt double đŸ€Ł pic.twitter.com/4SGjdMQpxI

— anya🐯 (@allineedisoneee) December 21, 2020

HAHAHAHA WHY IS HIS BODY DOUBLE 7 FEET TALL https://t.co/qhgbF1WMf6

— Chris Wright (@Chris_Wriiight) December 24, 2020

Good lord, I'm speechless. On reflection, this bit of hilarity might have made the movie better.

— Patrick McMahon (@Pittpatva) December 25, 2020

WOW I genuinely thought that sequence couldn't be stupider and yet here we are.

— You can’t reap what you don’t sow â€ïžđŸŠ‹ (@cheekyhobbit) December 24, 2020

Holy moly! That was comically bad! Thank goodness they took that entire thing out.

— Shakalaka (@CarlaCube) December 24, 2020

That is an abomination I will never I see....

— Jackie Boy (@Jackie_Boy_H) December 24, 2020

The body double doing the cartwheels through the seats was about 7 feet tall! 😃😃

— Helen Ramage (@Erebob) December 24, 2020

Oh my.
What an absolutely ludicrous treat.
đŸ€Ł
If this extended ‘gymnastics’ chase had been left in the final cut of Love Actually, it would have been the least ridiculous and problematic part of the movie. https://t.co/Q3QbWX6DVa

— Simon Angilley (@dufussy) December 26, 2020

Director Richard Curtis previously said of the “very rough” footage (via The Sun): “We’re a bit torn as to whether we were to put this bit in - there would have been some effects and polish done on it. We didn’t in the end, and I thought it was fun.

“In the original draft of the movie, there was lots of mentions about the fact that Sam, the little boy, was a brilliant gymnast and when it was sad you’d just see him casually being brilliant at gym.”

Love Actually was previously voted the UK’s sixth favourite Christmas film of all time, ahead of the likes of White Christmas, Miracle On 34th Street and The Polar Express.

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