Outnumbered stars Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis, who played the beloved parents Sue and Pete on the BBC show for many years, are now happily together in real life.
The sitcom followed the Brockman family, including children Jake, Ben and Karen, as they navigated the trials and tribulations of raising kids with different personalities and issues.
A brand new episode of Outnumbered is set to air at 9.40pm on Boxing Day on BBC One, where Sue and Pete will welcome their family home for Christmas. Their eldest child Jake is now a father to an energetic three year old, while his siblings also grapple with adulthood.
However, the special will see Pete reveal to his family that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. During the series’ run, both Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis were married to other people reports OK!
But by the time of the 2016 Christmas special, both actors divorced. After much media speculation, Hugh confirmed his relationship with Claire years later and they have been happily living together. But what else do we know about their lives?
Claire Skinner was previously married to director Charles Palmer, with whom she has two sons. Their marriage ended in 2016.
While Outnumbered is probably her most well-known role, viewers may also recognise her from Bridget Jones’ Diary, Life Begins, and Sense and Sensibility.
Claire, also known for her roles in The Pale Horse, Inside No. 9, Scream Street, Ted Lasso, and McDonald and Dodds, has been making waves on the acting scene in recent years.
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Hugh Dennis, a stalwart of British comedy with credits including Mock The Week, QI, and guest hosting Have I Got News for You, also boasts an impressive acting portfolio with shows like Outnumbered, My Hero, and Not Going Out under his belt. He even surprised fans with a cameo in the James Bond film No Time To Die.
Dennis was previously married to Catherine Abbot-Anderson in 1996, with whom he shares two children; their marriage ended in divorce in 2015.
The romance between Dennis and Skinner blossomed after they reconnected post-filming the Outnumbered Christmas special in 2016. Dennis reminisced in 2018 about how their relationship developed, saying: “That happened I suppose about a year and a half ago. We did an Outnumbered Christmas special about three years ago and then met up again about a year and a half ago.”
Skinner also shared details about their discreet love life during a 2019 interview with The Times. She expressed her surprise at the lack of public attention, stating: “Nobody really noticed when Hugh Dennis and I first got into a relationship.”
She added that it took a year before their relationship became public knowledge, which she found beneficial: “The news didn’t come out until a year later, which was great. People said to us that someone will notice soon but I kept telling them, ‘We’re both over 50. Why would anyone be interested in that?'” Skinner highlighted the importance of privacy for their families, concluding: “We’ve got families we wanted to protect, but everybody’s pretty cool and happy with it.”
Daniel Roche, famed for his role as the boisterous Ben in the BBC’s beloved show, has made claims that the on-screen couple have been an item for much longer than publicised. He revealed: “They’ve been doing it for years, they’ve been going out for years. They are together, they’re having a good time. It’s all nice,” However, Daniel later clarified his statements, saying: “I’d like to clear up some confusion. I seem to have been misquoted in the press.”
He continued: “I never ever meant to suggest that Hugh and Claire had been in a relationship for years and I wouldn’t have done because it simply isn’t true.”
Delving into their domestic life, it’s reported that Skinner and Dennis share a £1.2 million penthouse in London. Claire has expressed her love for running, walking, and yoga during her leisure time in an interview with The Times.
Adding to the family’s acting credentials, Claire’s eldest son William, who goes by Bill Skinner professionally, has made appearances in various TV series including ‘Ted Lasso’, ‘McDonald and Dodds’, ‘Endeavour’, and ‘The Cleaner’.
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