Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman on the fandom

Hardcore Sherlock fans have taken to sites such as Tumblr in order to imagine what Holmes and Watson might get up to once the deduction is done for the day. Cue much nervous giggling between Freeman and Cumberbatch. “There is weird fan fiction out there — weird,” Cumberbatch says. “They write stories and do manga cartoons of what they think you get up to behind closed doors. Some of it’s funny. Some of it’s full-on sex. Get Martin to show you some.”

Freeman, who hasn’t had a laptop for long, and is thus new to the wonders of slash fiction, suggests that I look it up myself, but is happy to précis: “There are a lot of people hoping that our characters and ourselves are rampantly at it most of the time.”

The fact that the two leads in Sherlock are now to appear in The Hobbit, another cult favourite, has sent the fantasists haywire. “It’s already started,” Freeman says, unfurling the fatigued, world’s-gone-mad look that he has practically trademarked. “There are cartoons where Smaug has Sherlock’s blue scarf and hair. And Bilbo’s got a woolly jumper like John wears, and they’re snuggling up on a rug. I think it’s tongue in cheek — which saves it from being really scary. It’s people doing it knowing they’ve got too much time on their hands.”