Hugh Grant lashes Love Actually parody
IT'S PERHAPS the most iconic scene in one of Britain's favourite Christmas films.
But it seems nothing is sacred for the UK Conservative party who have used Boris Johnson as a poor understudy for Love Actually's Andrew Lincoln in a spoof election campaign video.
In the original scene, Lincoln's character Mark confessed his love for Julie, the wife of his best friend with a series of cue card held up to the tune of carol singers outside their London mews house.
Now the much-parodied scene has fallen victim to the Conservative social media machine, run by two New Zealanders and an Australian political strategist, with a spoof video in which Mr Johnson appears on a doorstep promising to "get Brexit done".
The video begins with the classic "tell them it's carol singers" before launching into the Conservative election manifesto, saying "with any luck by next year we'll have Brexit done."




Watch the full video here.
Brexit, actually. pic.twitter.com/4ryuh19c75
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 9, 2019
The video has provoked a strong reaction in the UK with some praising it as "brilliant" and others making their own versions for the Prime Minister to watch.
Labour Party MPs have also pointed out it's been parodied before by a Labour's Rosena Allin-Khan who produced her version on 22 November.
The choice at this election... #LoveActually #MerryXmas #Tooting pic.twitter.com/laP589NlMm
— Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) November 22, 2019
I saw that Boris Johnson made a Love Actually campaign video.
— Terry Reintke (@TerryReintke) December 10, 2019
Well, Boris, when I made this video, it looked as if the UK was going to leave before this Christmas.
I am more than happy you are still with us. And hope for many more years together in our European family.
🇪🇺❤️🇬🇧 https://t.co/HBZ6fzlsgE
That Boris Johnson Love Actually ripoff, if was the truth actually. pic.twitter.com/G2UI6sOM7L
— steve harper (@Dossard49) December 10, 2019
Trust the Tories to pick the scene from Love Actually, where a creepy man turns up unannounced to a married woman's home, at night, to sex pest her. How apt it's Boris Johnson.pic.twitter.com/SYA5RZCP3b
— Mike P Williams 🌹 (@Mike_P_Williams) December 9, 2019
What a brilliant @Conservatives broadcast. Everyone is talking about it! Well done @BorisJohnson and team! Here it is https://t.co/uGcNZn0NaR
— Jayne Cowan (@JayneCowan) December 9, 2019
"One of the cards... Boris Johnson didn't hold up was the one saying "Because at Christmas you tell the truth"
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) December 10, 2019
Actor Hugh Grant @HackedOffHugh, who wants people to vote tactically against Brexit, gives his view of the PM's version of the famous Love Actually cards scene pic.twitter.com/HyU9Uk47Sd
Love Actually star Hugh Grant, who plays Britain's Prime Minister in the film and is a vocal critic of the Conservative government told the BBC he thought the video was "quite well done, very high production values but clearly the Conservative party have a lot of money."
"Maybe that's where all the roubles went," he said in reference to reports of Russian interference in the UK election.
"But I did notice that one of the cards from the original film he didn't hold up was the one where Andrew Lincoln held up a card saying 'because at Christmas you tell the truth'."
"And I just wonder if the spin doctors in the Tory party thought that was a card that wouldn't look too great in Boris Johnson's hands."


The rom-com leading man has taken to the campaign trail himself in this general election which has been dubbed the most significant in a generation because of the issues at stake including Brexit and the National Health Service.
The Notting Hill actor has even been spotted on the doorstop with MPs in key marginal seats, and advocated tactical voting to keep the Conservative government out of power.
Last week, Grant also tweeted a mugshot of himself with Divine Brown, a prostitute he was arrested with in 1995 over a lewd act in a public place in Los Angeles while he was dating Liz Hurley, as a way of snapping back at his trolls.
To my dear trolls. Hope this is helpful. Now you have more time to spend with mummy. pic.twitter.com/FbbyC286cZ
— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) December 5, 2019
The UK election will take place on December 12 and is the first December election since 1923.