Outnumbered kids reveal hopes for their characters ahead of Christmas special
The Brockmans return this festive season – but how has adulthood been treating them?
Outnumbered's former child stars have shared their thoughts on what they hope the Brockmans will be up to in the upcoming Christmas special, which marks the sitcom's return following an eight-year absence.
Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez grew up before the nation's eyes as Jake, Ben and Karen, who gave no shortage of headaches to long-suffering parents Sue (Claire Skinner) and Pete (Hugh Dennis).
The show followed them from childhood through to their teenage years, with the imminent festive episode set to re-introduce them all as adults – even Marquez, who plays the youngest of the Brockman children, and is now 23 years old.
Nevertheless, the actor was confident that Karen's core personality traits won't have changed, although she admitted to RadioTimes.com that she hadn't actually seen the episode script yet.
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"I think that Karen will be her true [self] – outspoken, intelligent," Marquez speculated. "She'll be doing something mad, I'm sure, and she'll be weaving her little webs. She'll just be the same Karen, I think."
Roche also weighed in on his hopes for Ben, who started out as a boisterous boy before becoming a directionless teen in the original series, leaving him with some big decisions to make regarding his future.
Read more:
- Outnumbered kids are open to returning for a new full season
- Outnumbered's Hugh Dennis says it'll be "strange" returning to the Brockmans
The actor explained: "I feel like, where we last met Ben, he was at a bit of a crossroads in his life. Obviously, nowhere near as bad – re lying – as he was when he was younger, but there was still a weirdness there.
"So I'm hoping that he's successful or at least has managed to make those quirky characteristics of his work. I don't want him to be some adult weirdo, basically."
Drew-Honey, who plays eldest Brockman child Jake, simply hoped for some "really funny lines to deliver" and "lots of nice bits of improv" in line with what viewers came to love about the sitcom when it first arrived on our screens.
Outnumbered is part of a nostalgic festive line-up for the BBC, which included the final ever Gavin & Stacey special, that will finally resolve the jaw-dropping cliffhanger left by 2019's reunion.
Outnumbered returns to BBC One and iPlayer this Christmas. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
