Hannah Tointon

Inbetweeners Joe Thomas & Hannah Tointon live together

Joe Thomas and Hannah Tointon, the younger sister of ex-Eastenders star Kara Tointon, live together - somewhat primitively - in the City. But are hunting for a new, more contemporary home.

Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas 'dating' screen love

Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas is reportedly dating his on-screen girlfriend, Hannah Tointon, off the show as well as on it.

It was, of course, excruciating, crude and uproariously funny - everything we've come to love from a brilliantly observed British comedy that will be bowing out on a high in three weeks' time. Free of his ridiculous obsession with Carli (Emily Head), Simon's overcome his unfortunate Statue of Liberty haircut and acquired actual human girlfriend Tara (Hannah Tointon); keeping her will be the real challenge.

Helpfully, the ever-loyal Will (Simon Bird) is willing to spend time with Tara's BBF - boring best friend) - if there's the prospect of some - hell, any action at the end of the day.

As The Inbetweeners has confirmed repeatedly and hilariously, the course of both true love and adolescent fumbling never runs smoothly.

Whether it was Will fainting during a gory horror film, Simon appalling Tara's parents after meeting them for the first time or Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison) encountering a teacher out of his natural habitat, E4's hit series finely captures the continual embarrassment of teenage life.

Not that this third episode ever neared serious territory as The Inbetweeners thankfully avoids the death and depression plots of Skins in favour of a top-notch sight gag involving a motorbike, a new running joke to rival the "Friend!" quip of the first series and revelling in the genuine chemistry between our four loveable leads.

The lovable misfit schoolboys show no signs of shaking off their nerdy charms as sixth form continues to expose their gaucheness in this puerile but funny sitcom. Simon (Joe Thomas) and Will (Simon Bird) are on a double date, with Simon wondering if a snog is worth the price of having his new girlfriend, Tara (Hannah Tointon), redesign his wardrobe, while Will hopes hanging out with Tara's boring friend will lead to some action.

'Just Say No', the infamous advertising campaign from the 1980s and 90s read. Of course, this aphorism didn't apply for The Inbetweeners in this week's episode of the regularly entertaining sitcom.

Geeky Will had reservations - despite slight goading from his mum - that smoking 'spliffpuff' would be the right track to enjoying a gig from hip, upcoming band Failsafe, but Simon had new girl Tara (a good turn by Hannah Tointon) to impress.

With his promise to supply the goods, Simon turned to cocky Jay as his dealer, who managed to score not 'd-r-u-g-s', but 'p-g-t-i-p-s' from bully Donovan.

The brilliantly observed scenes in the venue included a delightful cameo from comedian Doc Brown, who threatened to steal the show as an ingenuous drug dealer.

Jay, finally delivering on one of his boasts and delivering the 'puff', began a hilarious chain of events which ended with Will swallowing the entirety of the remaining stash - the bits that weren't rolled up by the dealer, that is.

Simon's relationship with Tara was the big story from the second episode, though, and will make fans wonder if he'll finally be lucky in love. After all, he 'doesn't want a Playboy model' but 'a nice girlfriend'.

Though at times it risked self-parody (Neil's slow-motion version of his robot dance, for example) The Inbetweeners picked up from a somewhat customary slow start to the series.

Displaying its influences - a knowing nod to The Office and David Brent's 'Hobnob' quip - the second episode was more Grange Hill than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Hannah Tointon has big future

Hannah Tointon looks straight ahead at a big future after her new show, The Inbetweeners, bagged 3 million viewers.