They began dating in real life after playing harassed parents Sue and Pete Brockman in BBC comedy Outnumbered – and now it appears that Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis have secretly tied the knot.

Astonishingly, the couple, who live in a £1.5 million London townhouse, managed to keep their marriage out of the public domain for nearly three years, having wed in the summer of 2022.

Hugh was seen sporting a wedding band on his left ring finger during an appearance last month on the Lorraine show on ITV. 

Meanwhile Claire flashed her engagement and wedding band during a promo for December’s popular Outnumbered Christmas special, with her co-stars Daniel Roche, Tyger Drew-Honey, Ramona Marquez and Hugh.

The Mail on Sunday now understands the stars, who started dating after wrapping up the series in 2017, married in the parish of Westminster in June 2022.

Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner (both pictured) secretly tied the knot three years ago in the summer of 2022

Hugh Dennis (right) as Pete in Outnumbered.  A source said the couple were ‘low-key’, with only family and close friends in the know about their marriage

The couple on the Outnumbered Christmas special last year. In 2019, Claire called her romance with Hugh a ‘lovely little life surprise’

A source said: ‘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, 63, split from his second wife Kate Abbot-Anderson in 2015, while Claire, 59, split from her TV director husband Charles Palmer in 2016. 

Speaking in 2019 on Lorraine, Claire called her romance with Hugh a ‘lovely little life surprise’. 

She also revealed how the young actors who played the Brockman children were ‘in full control’ on set. Claire said: ‘Everything was based around those kids. Hugh and I had to sort of take a back seat.’ 

The award-winning Outnumbered was watched by 9.4 million viewers at its peak and ran for five series between 2007-2014, with Christmas specials in 2016 and 2024.