Richard Curtis confirms he will bow out of directing at About Time premiere

In pictures: View from the red carpet

Richard Curtis confirmed he would be bowing out of directing at the premiere of his new film About Time.

Click here to see Richard Curtis and the stars of About Time on the red carpet

The Love Actually film-maker said he was giving up on directing because it is “10,000 days of worry”.

He said: “I’m hoping people who see this movie will take away the message that it is good to try and enjoy every day of your life as much as you can, and directing is intense- so I’m trying to avoid the tension.”

Curtis, whose credits include Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones’s Diary, said he would continue to write screenplays.

About Time’s lead actress Rachel McAdams said Curtis’ decision to stop directing was a “travesty”.

She said: “I would love for him to be making movies but he will always write and create art so it won't be the last we hear from him.“

The film premiered at Somerset House in London to an audience of 1,600 people who attended an outdoor screening.

The film’s stars Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Domhnall Gleeson and Margot Robbie were all in attendance.

Watch the trailer for About Time: