While Roberts put the kibosh on Richard Curtis’s proposal, Hugh Grant was happy to prove the lie of a happy ending for his ‘despicable’ character

The writer and director Richard Curtis has revealed that he had been planning a follow-up to romcom hit Notting Hill in which the lead characters split up.

Speaking to IndieWire to promote forthcoming animation That Christmas, Curtis – who has previously overseen short spin-offs of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually in aid of Comic Relief – said he had envisioned a similar “mini sequel” to Notting Hill.