Child stars of Outnumbered, 14-year-old Tyger Drew-Honey (Jake), Daniel Roche (Ben), 10, and Romana Marquez (Karen), eight, talk about the third series of their hit BBC1 sitcom. What's your favourite part of the new series? Tyger: "When a pigeon causes havoc in the kitchen: it was funny watching Dan scream any time the pigeon came near him." Dan: "The pigeon was real and made us all go crazy!" Ramona: "I like the bit where Hugh Dennis, who plays our dad, has a tennis match and it all goes a bit wrong." How do you compare to your on-screen character? Tyger: "Jake worries a lot – about the family’s financial situation, global warming etc, and I'm a lot more laid back. I’m much more confident and boisterous, Jake seems pretty reticent sometimes. Also in this new series Jake is so teenage and moody and often rude to his Mum and Dad, whereas I’m not.” Ramona: "I'm not as childish – I know a bit more than Karen!" Dan: "I'm a lot like Ben because I’m loud, I like weird things and I can get really hyper." It's been a year since you filmed the last series - had you missed each other? Tyger: "We all missed each other dreadfully, and it was great to see everyone again. However, we do meet up from time to time when we’re not filming. We get invited to parties and award shows, and also go to theme parks, have meals out and go to each others’ houses, which keeps us up to date." Romana: "It seemed a long time ago and I always miss them a lot in between." Dan: "We always miss filming because it's such fun." How have you all changed since you last worked together? Tyger: "We have all changed A LOT! Ramona is about four inches taller, but she's still all beautiful and cuddly like she used to be. Dan is also much taller, and nearly as broad as me now! He is still the chirpy, fun, crazy, mad, lovely boy he was before though. And as for me, I think puberty has really taken its toll. I'm as tall as half the crew, and people often mistake me for being a couple of years older than I actually am!" Ramona: "Tyger's voice had gone really deep." Dan: "He’s become a real teenager! I don’t think Romana and I have changed much really. After four years of knowing each other, we’re all a lot closer and everybody in the cast and crew aren’t just friends, we’re more like a massive family." Who is the funniest member of the Outnumbered family? Tyger: "Definitely Hugh! He’s hilarious and always cracking jokes on set. Being a comedian, he’s amazing at making people laugh." Dan: "I tell rubbish jokes but Romana has a few funny ones. We often have laughing fits in the middle of scenes." Romana: "Daniel is so cheeky and funny!” And who's the most mischievous? Ramona: "Daniel, again!” Tyger: "Dan is an incredibly sly and mischievous boy. He’s always playing tricks on me, Ramona and our tutor Rus. He’s constantly hiding from us, or poking us, shouting ‘MUSSHIMUNSTAAA’ at the top of his voice." Dan: "I’m the crazy one who always gets sent out of tutoring for annoying the others. But we all have our moments…" What's the best thing about filming the show? Tyger: “That’s got to be all the brilliant people, and the atmosphere. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to meet so many lovely people. I can’t say there is one person I dislike on set. When the shoot finishes, and we have to leave the people we’ve been laughing and having a great time with day in, day out for the last 6 weeks, tears always forms in the corner of my eyes.” Ramona: ”I like missing school! And seeing Tyger and Dan and all my Outnumbered friends, our tutor Rus and all the crew." Would you like it if your co-stars Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis were your parents in real life? Tyger: "Although I love my actual parents, and wouldn’t swap them for the universe, I do think having Hugh and Claire as parents would be great – I could get away with whatever I wanted!” Ramona: “Claire would be a nice mum, she's very gentle." Dan: “Hugh and Claire would be fun because I could act like a spy at midnight, sneaking around them and they probably wouldn't realise..." If you weren’t in the Outnumbered family, which TV family would you like to be a part of? Tyger: "I'd love to be in The Simpsons family. Everyone seems to have so much fun, and having a dad as hilarious as Homer can't be bad. I really like all the characters, and if they weren't just very good drawings, I'd love to meet them!" Ramona: "Not sure, definitely not Malcolm in the Middle!" Dan: "The Griffin family from Family Guy because they're so mad and chaotic that I'd never be bored." How have your school friends reacted to you being famous? Tyger: “It was a bit overwhelming at first, but now they’ve got over it, they treat me as they treat all their other friends." Dan: “Just after I'd been cast, I got told off and one of my classmates shouted, ‘You can't tell him off, he’s a celebrity!’ but now I'm just Daniel at school."
