Outnumbered is returning to the BBC with a Christmas special, eight years after its last episode.

Of course the children have grown up a lot since then and viewers will look forward to seeing what they’re like now but the family has some difficult news to share.

In the episode, Hugh Dennis’ character Pete shares the news that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the Radio Times reports.

The Christmas special will see Pete tell his children, Jake, Ben and Karen, about his diagnosis.

Ahead of the special, the Radio Times said Dennis answered a few questions about the episode, including why the storyline was included.

Cancer storyline to be included in Outnumbered Christmas special

Dennis said: "Every family pretty much has had experience of that kind of stuff. And we've had, not within my nuclear family, but my dad had cancer at 66 and survived until he was 88. It has touched everyone, really.

"And I'm pleased to have done it, actually. Partially because I got nabbed once by Prostate Cancer UK, and I'm now one of the faces of 'go and get your prostate cancer self-check'.

"So, as well as it being a story which resonates, I'm sort of delighted if it means that anybody goes and gets a check. That's a sort of little victory, isn't it? Because everybody has been touched by cancer in some way. So, essentially, no research [is] needed because it's such a common thing."

Despite viewers probably remembering “the delightful children” in the episodes, the show's writers, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, explained that topics including dementia, death and homophobia have always been dealt with in the series.

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Viewers can also expect to see the Brockman children tackle different obstacles.

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The Radio Times added: “Alongside this storyline, the special will also see Jake struggling to balance working from home while raising a child of his own, while Ben plans a major trip and Karen deals with frustrations in both her professional and personal life.”

How to watch Outnumbered’s Christmas special

You can watch the Outnumbered Christmas special on Boxing Day at 9.40pm.

Viewers will need to tune into BBC One or iPlayer to see the episode unfold.