Emma Freud reveals Richard Curtis rejected her leap year proposal in the early days of their romance - before working on Four Weddings and a Funeral put them off marriage for life

  • Emma Freud, 56, has been in a relationship with Richard Curtis for 28 years 
  • The broadcaster and editor revealed she proposed to Curtis in Regent's Park
  • But the pair were put off marriage after working on Four Weddings and a Funeral 
  • Couple met during a BBC Radio 4 interview and have four children together 

By Unity Blott For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

They have never tied the knot, despite being a couple for more than 28 years and raising four children together.

But now Emma Freud has revealed she once hoped to wed long-term partner Richard Curtis - and even got down on one knee in the early days of their romance. 

The broadcaster told how she proposed to the screenwriter after just a year together on February 29, when women are traditionally 'allowed' to get down on one knee.

Speaking on the podcast Love Stories with Dolly Alderton, Freud told how she proposed to the Love Actually screenwriter during a walk in the park.

She said: 'We went to Regent's Park and we went down on one knee and said, "Will you marry me?" and he said, "No."'

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Broadcaster Emma Freud, who has been with Richard Curtis for more than 28 years, revealed she proposed to the screenwriter after just a year together on February 29

Broadcaster Emma Freud, who has been with Richard Curtis for more than 28 years, revealed she proposed to the screenwriter after just a year together on February 29

Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings. Freud said of the film: 'Those weddings were the basis of the movie, and also the reason that neither of us could imagine going down an aisle'

Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings. Freud said of the film: 'Those weddings were the basis of the movie, and also the reason that neither of us could imagine going down an aisle'

Emma, 56, told how her partner asked for six months to 'think about it' - after which he presented her with a ring and said: 'Look I don't want to get married, but can we be not married for the rest of our lives?'

And speaking to Fearne Cotton for Stylist this week, she admitted that working on 1994 hit Four Weddings later put them both off marriage for good.

She said: 'We added up the number of weddings we had both been to and it was over 100. 

'Those weddings were the basis of the movie, and also the reason that neither of us could imagine going down an aisle. 

'And I always thought that if we didn’t get married, we could never get divorced.' 

The pair, who are responsible for rom-com classics Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and About Time, first met when Freud interviewed Curtis about his work with Comic Relief for BBC Radio 4. 

Love actually: Emma this week told how she proposed to the screenwriter after just a year together on February 29 in the early days of their romance (pictured here in 1995)

Love actually: Emma this week told how she proposed to the screenwriter after just a year together on February 29 in the early days of their romance (pictured here in 1995)

The couple (pictured in 2004) are responsible for rom-com classics Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and About Time, and first met when Emma interviewed him for Radio 4

The couple (pictured in 2004) are responsible for rom-com classics Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and About Time, and first met when Emma interviewed him for Radio 4

The pair collecting Emma's OBE in 2011. Gushing about her long-term partner this week, Freud said: 'I think I've got the jackpot, I think I've got the triple jackpot; he's just incredible'

The pair collecting Emma's OBE in 2011. Gushing about her long-term partner this week, Freud said: 'I think I've got the jackpot, I think I've got the triple jackpot; he's just incredible'

She recalled: 'At the end of it, I wrote him a thank you letter for doing the interview which is something I did twice in my entire career. 

'I think I knew quite early on that he was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with.' 

But despite an impressive list of hit films on their CV, Freud admitted she had 'never' seen one of Curtis's most famous works, hit comedy series Blackadder.

Speaking about her first impressions of him, she said: 'For someone who's written Blackadder - not that I'd seen it, and I still haven't seen it to be honest but I knew it was meant to be really funny [...] that is a sexy mixture.'

Gushing about her long-term partner, Freud said: 'I think I've got the jackpot, I think I've got the triple jackpot; he's just incredible.'

Emma FreudRichard Curtis

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