Outnumbered actress Claire Skinner has called her romance with co-star Hugh Dennis a "lovely little life surprise" as she finally broke her silence on their relationship during an appearance on ITV's Lorraine.
TV fans will recognise the pair from the BBC comedy, which ran from 2007 to 2014, in which they starred as parents Pete and Sue Brockman navigating life with their quick-witted children; Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), Ben (Daniel Roche), and Karen (Ramona Marquez).
And while they played an on-screen couple for nine years, the actors' real-life romance only came to light after they had wrapped the Outnumbered Christmas special in 2016, which will no doubt come as a surprise to many.
Speaking about her romance with the comedian, Claire, 53, told host Lorraine Kelly: "We are (together). It's a lovely little life surprise, isn't it? It's a lovely thing."
Her comments come months after Hugh, 57, confirmed their relationship during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live in February and revealed that they began dating in 2017.
Sharing details about their romance, The Mock of The Week panellist said: "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."
Hugh also spoke about his romance with Claire in the Daily Mail, saying: "I am very, very happy, we are so very happy. It's nice and yes, it's so lovely."
It was later reported that the couple live together in the £1.2million London penthouse flat which Hugh bought in 2015 following his split from his second wife, Kate Abbot-Anderson.
Sleepy Hallow actress Claire was previously married to TV director split Charles Palmer for 15 years and split in 2016. During their marriage, they welcomed two sons - William, 20, and Henry, 17.
Comedian Hugh has two children; Freddie, 22, and Meg, 20, with ex-wife Kate Abbot-Anderson, from whom he split in 2015.
Although they have kept their relationship under wraps largely until now, it is believed that their family, close friends and a select few colleagues had been aware of their romance for a year and half.
Can we get a collective awe?
Featured Image Credit: ParamountTopics: BBC, TV News, TV Entertainment