The couple started dating after finishing the show in 2016, before returning for a Christmas special last year

Outnumbered co-stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner are rumoured to have secretly tied the knot.

The duo, famous for their roles as Sue and Pete Brockman in the popular BBC series, are believed to have taken their romance off-screen to another level.

They began a discreet relationship after wrapping up the show in 2016, with their partnership only being confirmed publicly two years later.

“I am very, very happy, we are so very happy. It’s nice and yes, it’s so lovely,” Hugh told the Mail on Sunday as the news of their relationship broke.

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Though there’s been no official word from Hugh or Claire on their nuptials, fans have spotted Hugh donning a wedding band recently on ITV’s Lorraine and Claire was seen with both engagement and wedding rings during publicity events for an Outnumbered Christmas special.

Reports suggest the couple might have exchanged vows in the summer of 2022.

A source told The Daily Mail: “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.

“They are a low-key couple who wanted to keep this special for them. Only their family and close friends have known.”

Hugh, who is 63 years old, had two previous marriages; his first to Miranda Carroll ended in divorce in 1993, followed by a second marriage to Kate Abbot-Anderson which also concluded in separation in 2015, but they share both a son and a daughter.

On the other hand, Claire parted ways with Charles Palmer, her husband of 15 years, in 2016, with whom she has two sons.

Claire opened up about their romance in 2019, telling 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?”

She also spoke about how their families reacted to the news. Claire said: “We’ve got families we wanted to protect, but everybody’s pretty cool and happy with it.”

The couple recently returned to our screens for a special Christmas episode of Outnumbered after an eight-year hiatus, with the family’s head Pete disclosing his prostate cancer diagnosis.