The Christmas classic beat another Richard Curtis film – Four Wedding and a Funeral – in the final.
Love Actually has come out on top in a RadioTimes.com poll to crown the best romcom of all time.
After 32 films spanning several decades were narrowed down to four in a tournament on X (formerly Twitter), the Christmas classic beat out Roman Holiday, Grease, and fellow Richard Curtis film Four Weddings and A Funeral to take the crown.
It scored 38.5 per cent of the vote in the final, with Four Weddings its closest challenger on 28.6 per cent.
In total, more than 1000 votes were cast throughout the competition, with other films featured in the shortlist including the likes of The Philadelphia Story, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Dirty Dancing, and Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Which of these films is the best romcom of all time? 💕
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) February 11, 2024
You’ve narrowed it down from 32 to four. Now for the final vote!
Initially, fans were asked to choose their favourite romcom from each decade between the 1940s and 2010s, before the respective winners faced off in the semi-finals and final.
Love Actually has often sharply divided opinion among both film fans and critics, so is perhaps a controversial choice as winner, but it has remained a staple of Christmas viewing in the two decades since its release.
Last year marked 20 years since it first opened in cinemas and, speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the time, Curtis explained that he considered the film’s enduring success to be “just a strange bit of luck”.
Read more:
“I don’t watch Love Actually very often,” he said. “And when you do watch your old movies, it’s funny how they’re like just a very expensive diary.
“So I’d watch it and think ‘Oh my god, we ran out of time that day, and Emma Thompson ticked me off for the fact she didn’t know the names of her own children’, and stuff like that.”
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.