Outnumbered boss reveals future of beloved BBC comedy after surprise return for Christmas special

OUTNUMBERED's creator has teased the future of the show after bringing the iconic sitcom back for a Christmas special after eight years away from screens.

Fans fell in love with the Brockman household when they made their debut on screens back in 2007.

Now, eight years on from their last Christmas special, the kids of Sue and Pete are all grown up and living their own lives away from mum and dad.

Fans will be able to see how the family's dynamics have shifted when they all attempt to reunite for a family Christmas in this year's special.

It will no doubt get everyone's hopes up that even more specials, or a potential series, could be in the works.

Speaking to The Sun and other press at the launch event for this year's special, show creator Andy Hamilton teased that he could "never say never" to the possibility of bringing the show back again for even more episodes but cast doubt on what it could look like.

Andy said: "Well you should never say never but I just said it twice.

"I don't know is the honest answer. 

"I remember on the first series somebody asking us you know could it go on as it has legs?

"I said as a joke well we'll probably go on until one of the kids has a a child and we have."

Andy was referring to eldest Brockman child Jake, played by actor Tyger Drew-Honey, and his daughter now that he is a father himself.

Viewers will meet little Zara and her animal antics for the first time during the Boxing Day special as they see Jake in action as a dad for the very first time.

Show writer Andy added: "Maybe when the little girl grows up and she has kids Guy [Jenkins, co-writer] and I will be 138 years old by that time which would be a remarkable feat but who knows is the honest answer."

It comes as he and the cast admitted that a reunion had never felt right up until now with them all finally agreeing as the time felt right.

Elsewhere, the cast revealed that they were actually allowed to choose their own character's names when the sitcom kickstarted in 2007.

Ramona Marquez, who plays Karen, is left joking about the modern connotations with her name during the special as she quips: "I'm thinking of changing my name because Karen is the archetypal name for an entitled middle-aged woman."

Pete then replies: "I'm sorry, we meant to teleport into the future to check on that when we christened you."

However, Ramona revealed that Karen was actually her second choice after the writers rejected her first suggestion of Lisa.

Ramona said: "Because at first I wanted to be called Lisa.

"I think it was like a Lisa Simpson thing.

"Then I decided I wanted to be Karen because at the time I was playing houses at school or whatever.

"I kind of had this fantasy of being like a mother woman called Karen and she'd wear long dresses and be a bit boho so I really liked the name Karen."

Elsewhere, Hugh Dennis, admitted that he simply picked Pete as that is his birth name.

Hugh laughed: "I chose Pete as well because Pete is in fact my real name. So I thought if anybody calls me Pete at least I'll turn around at the right time.