UK- A child actor plucked from obscurity to appear in a new BBC sitcom is the son of millionaire porn star and director Ben Dover.

Eleven-year-old Tyger Drew-Honey was spotted while playing a comedy role in a production of Treasure Island at the private Danes Hill School in Oxshott.

Agents were there to watch other children, but were so impressed with Tyger’s performance that they handed him a role appearing alongside comedian Hugh Dennis in BBC One comedy Outnumbered.

Tyger’s famous father is hardcore porn star Simon Lindsay Honey, better known as Ben Dover, who was included in Hustler magazine’s top 50 most influential people in porn.

In 2006, he was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the UK Adult Film Awards.

Tyger’s mother is former porn star and editor of Penthouse magazine, Linzi Drew, who herself had a varied career as a stripper, page three girl and porn actress, before retiring aged 41 to have Tyger.

She also appeared naked on the cover of former Pink Floyd star Roger Water’s solo album The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking.

The couple live with their son in Chargate Close in Walton, where they now run a company distributing Mr Honey’s explicit films and a clothing range.

The BBC declined to comment on whether it had known who Tyger’s parents were when it offered him the role in the show which ended last night.

The series was written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, the team behind Drop the Dead Donkey.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We chose the best available actor for the role. The BBC is absolutely thrilled with the casting of Tyger and he has emerged as one of the stars of this very popular show.”

Ms Drew said: “I’m surprised anybody would be interested, but that’s what we did and my son is an actor – what we did in the past shouldn’t matter.”