Outnumbered stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner delighted fans when they confirmed their romance a few years back. However, now reports have emerged that they’ve tied the knot in a secret ceremony.
The actors played long-suffering parents Pete and Sue on the iconic sitcom – which returned to our screens on Christmas Day for a festive special. The popular BBC One sitcom about the Brockman family aired from 2007 to 2014 and a one-off Christmas special aired in 2016.
And it turns out not only did the show bring fame and fortune to the stars – but love as well…
Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner met on Outnumbered
Hugh and Claire reportedly struck up a romance back in March 2017, following the breakdown of their marriages.
A friend told The Sun at the time: “It’s always a sad moment when a marriage breaks up. So to have found each other after the ending of both their relationships is rather lovely.”
The source went on: “They were going through marriage breakdowns at very similar times, but it was quite a while after their separations that they got together last year.”
When did Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner start dating?
The insider also said: “Between the end of the last series of Outnumbered in 2014 and the Christmas special in 2016, they didn’t actually see each other for two years. They’ve always been really friendly but they were living their own lives until they were both single.”
Claire was married to TV director Charles Palmer before splitting in 2016. The pair share two sons together.
Hugh meanwhile is a dad of two, with second wife Kate Abbot-Anderson. Hugh and Kate were together for 19 years before splitting in 2015.
Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner ‘are very happy’
However, in 2018, Hugh confirmed his romance with Claire. He told MailOnline: “I am very, very happy, we are so very happy. It’s nice and yes, it’s so lovely.”
What’s more, Claire also opened up about their romance in 2019. She told The Times: “Nobody really noticed when Hugh Dennis and I first got into a relationship. 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?'”
Speaking about their families’ reactions, Claire added: “We’ve got families we wanted to protect, but everybody’s pretty cool and happy with it.”
And more recently, Hugh spoke about his connection with Claire. He told Radio Times: “Claire and I see each other, quite a lot, certainly.”
Co-star Ramona Marquez, who played their daughter Karen on the show, then laughed and chimed in: “Every now and then.”
Real-life wedding
However, over the weekend, it was claimed that the pair are actually husband and wife in real life.
A source alleged to The Sun that they married in Westminster in 2022. They claimed: “This is a real TV love story. They delighted fans when they fell in love outside of the show, having managed to keep it quiet.”
Only their family and close friends have known.
Meanwhile, a source added to MailOnline: “They are a low-key couple who wanted to keep this special for them. Only their family and close friends have known.”
However, the signs were actually there…
Hugh was spotted wearing his wedding ring on ITV daytime show Lorraine, while Claire showed off her wedding band ahead of the 2024 Christmas special.
ED! has contacted reps for both for comment.
Read more: Outnumbered star Claire Skinner’s journey from BBC sitcom to McDonald & Dodds
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