With the semi-improvised sitcom Outnumbered starting in 2007, Tyger Drew-Honey has played Jake Brockman across all episodes, with the final series airing in 2014 and a Christmas Special in 2016, alongside his on-screen family Hugh Dennis (Pete), Claire Skinner (Sue), Daniel Roche (Ben) and Ramona Marquez (Karen). Tyger reunited with the Brockman family for Children in Need and Comic Relief last year and, with Daniel and Ramona, he presented the Comedy Award at the 2024 National Television Awards. Writers and directors Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin brought back Outnumbered for a Christmas Special in December, which saw Hugh, Claire, Tyger, Daniel, Ramona reprise their roles, with Tyger’s character Jake now a father. On screen, Tyger has had numerous roles including playing Dylan Thompson in Cuckoo, Jon Craven in Me, Myself & Di, was in the cast of The Armstrong & Miller Show, and has had guest roles in shows such as Midsomer Murders and Death in Paradise. Also having radio experience, most recently, Tyger voiced Michael last year in the new version of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov alongside Rory Kinnear for BBC Radio 3. Over the festive season, Tyger was starring as The Prince in the Sleeping Beauty pantomime at The Anvil in Basingstoke, having previously played the role in Cinderella in both Poole and Northampton. Later this year, Tyger’s next project will be released, having filmed last year in Romania, and he will be working on an unannounced project when he films in Ireland at a later date. Answering our questions, Tyger talks to us about filming for Outnumbered as Jake Brockman, reprising his role for the 2024 Christmas Special, working opposite the rest of the Brockman family and starring as The Prince in Sleeping Beauty at The Anvil in Basingstoke.

What was it like hearing the news that Outnumbered would be returning for a Christmas Special last year and what were you looking forward to for getting back into character as Jake Brockman?

Instantly excitement consumed me. Daniel (Roche), Ramona (Marquez) and I jumped in the group chat and decided we were keen. I cried happy tears as I realised I would soon be revisiting a chapter of my life that holds so many of my fondest memories. I couldn’t wait to see everyone and to cherish every moment of the shoot in a way that I never had done before.

Can you tell us about the new episode and how was it reading the script for the first time?

I was very excited to read the script for the first time, but slightly apprehensive. I really wondered how the writers could make it work, when so many people have always thought the magic of Outnumbered came from the fact that we were young kids, which obviously we are not anymore. But there is no denying Andy (Hamilton) and Guy’s (Jenkin) talent, and they produced a piece which perfectly embraced the natural passage of us kids having grown up. They depicted the chaos of Christmas and real family life with a gentleness that I found moving as well as very funny.

How would you say Jake has changed since the 2016 Christmas Special and how has it been developing the character since the series started in 2007?

He’s pretty similar, just a little more mature. I feel like he’s gotten a bit closer with Ben as they’ve both grown up, but not quite so much Karen. I guess Jake and I have kind of grown up together. We’ve both experienced our first day at secondary school, bullying, the birds and the bees talk, girlfriends, teenage stupidity, tattoos, breakups, travelling and more. But Jake beat me to becoming a father!

What was your first day back on the Outnumbered set like and is there anything you have enjoyed most about filming for the show again?

It was just like seeing old friends, or going home. About 80% of the Outnumbered crew did every series and so everyone became incredibly close over the years. Like a big family. Many of them came out of retirement just to do the special, so just to see everyone after several years, to work with them as their adult peers as opposed to children, it was just very special.

Over the five series of the sitcom, do you have any favourite episodes to watch back or that stood out as memorable to film?

I haven’t watched the show in years except at Christmas we often watch a special or two. However, I do remember the episodes on the London tour bus and the day out at the farm were great fun and probably some of my favourites.

How was it having the show be semi-improvised and what is it like being directed by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin?

I believe improvisation was one of the defining factors in Outnumbered’s success. It gave the show its charm, and it meant that the kids’ young minds weren’t busy or distracted searching for lines, we were just being ourselves, aiding the naturalism of the show. Any and Guy quickly learned how to keep us kids relaxed and maintain a set on which stress and pressure didn’t exist. It was a fine balance they always achieved perfectly.

In September, you presented the Comedy Award at the 2024 National Television Awards alongside your Outnumbered co-stars Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez, how was this?

Very good fun, an honour! In the green room us three planned like a 30 second intro we would say on stage about how we won in the past and our ages at the time etc, and then read out the nominations. As we were about to go up one of the floor managers told us there was no time and we couldn’t say what we had planned as the live broadcast was running late. We said no sorry, and said it anyway!

What was it like having the Brockmans return to screens for the first time since 2016 for Children in Need last year, and watching old Outnumbered sketches for Comic Relief earlier in the year?

I mean, it was just a really exciting year in general for Outnumbered, even before we knew about the special. Doing the reactions for Comic Relief was great fun and was a good bit of exposure for us all, as well as helping a great cause, and the same goes for Children in Need.

Having been in the lead cast of two major sitcoms – Outnumbered and Cuckoo, and in the regular cast of sketch show The Armstrong & Miller Show, how different did you find each to film?

Outnumbered is a very relaxed set, in a real house, with pretty minimal set ups and obviously incorporates improvisation. Cuckoo was a loud and often high pressure specially built set (usually), with long set ups and complicated shots and was completely scripted. And The Armstrong & Miller Show was sketches, in various different sets and locations, where you constantly play different characters! So I would say in ways they are all very different, but the industry just has this vibe that is present throughout them all. They are all the same for me in the sense that I turn up, do what I’m told and when I’m allowed I go home!

You have recently been starring as The Prince in the Sleeping Beauty pantomime at The Anvil in Basingstoke, how did the run go?

Panto is always a weird, wonderful and knackering roller coaster but I must say I really enjoy it. The show was fantastic in my opinion and many people who came to watch it said the same. It was a fabulous venue with an incredibly talented and hard-working company, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there playing with the character and bringing some Christmas cheer to Basingstoke.

What was it like working on Sleeping Beauty, having previously been part of Cinderella in both Poole and Northampton, and what is The Prince like to play?

It was amazing, just a new challenge. I must say this was my favourite Prince yet. I felt I now had a much better understanding of the panto craft having done the two before, and so I felt a lot more comfortable and was able to play and ad-lib, which I really enjoyed.

Do you have a favourite aspect of performing in pantomimes and seeing families getting involved?

Selfishly, my favourite thing about doing panto is actually the fact that I’m working, doing something that, although is very hard work, I absolutely love. There are so many talented performers out there who aren’t working much or at all. Of course, seeing the little kids in the audience full of joy and loving the show, dressed up as princesses in the front row laughing and waving, it is undeniably joyous and fulfilling.

How was it working on the new version of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov for BBC Radio 3 last year and voicing the role of Michael?

It was a lovely little job. I love doing radio dramas, and always enjoy creating the sound effects. The best thing to recreate the sound of walking through knee high grass? Just unroll hundreds of cassette tapes, ball the tape up on the floor, and shimmy your feet around on it as you act your words into the microphone. It was also pretty cool to meet Rory Kinnear.

How did you get into acting and how do you typically prepare for auditions?

I was ‘scouted’ by an agent at a school play when I was nine years old and then got lucky along the way. To prepare for auditions, I will always learn the lines perfectly so I don’t have to think about them, and do as much research as I can. I’ve been known to buy special types of clothing or props to use in my self tapes. When it comes to in the room auditions, I approach them much the same, except I suppose there’s an extra level of pressure, but also more opportunity to impress, so I try not to let the pressure get to me, and maximise the good impression.

Have you seen any films, TV or theatre shows in recent months that you have particularly enjoyed?

The only thing that immediately springs to mind is the theatre show The Importance of Being Earnest. If anyone reading hasn’t seen it, I would highly recommend.

Do you have any upcoming acting plans that you can share?

I do have a project that should be being broadcast in April that I shot in Romania last year which I’m very excited about, and also shortly I should be off to Ireland to film some scenes in another exciting project. I also plan to stop procrastinating and start writing properly this year.

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