Did Benedict Cumberbatch just brightly declare his Sherlock is gay?

Erm, guys? We’ve got some news for you. You might want to take a seat for this one. You see, Benedict Cumberbatch… delicate pause… well it looks like he’s just outed Sherlock.

Yep, the British actor glibly let slip the news about his character’s sexuality during an interview with The Nerdist podcast, where he was asked about the similarities between Sherlock and Doctor Who.

“One uses a sonic screwdriver and time travel and the other uses his brain and isn’t 900 years old and isn’t reincarnated,” he said, presumably while rolling his eyes and looking a bit like a sexy otter.

“Sherlock talks fast and is clever, that’s literally the only bracket they share. They’ve got different dress senses, different tastes in the sex of their partners...”

Comedy record-scratch hold up – what?!

Benedict didn’t elaborate on his comments, though in the past he’s spoken about the misapprehension so many people have about Sherlock’s love life.

In a previous interview with IndieWire, he said he saw no reason why the famously isolated consulting detective shouldn’t be sexual.

“I’ve had asexuals come up to me and thank me for representing asexuals. I don’t know how that came about. I mean, the man’s too busy to have sex. That’s really what is it,” he continued.

“Not every man has a sex drive that needs to be attended to. Like a lot of things in his life where he’s purposely dehumanised himself, it’s to do with not wanting the stuff that is time wasting, that’s messy. That goes for certain relationships, as well as sexual intimacy.”

You’re hearing all this in his voice, aren’t you? In his dark chocolate voice? Yeah, us too.

It’s not the first time the modern BBC’s interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation has been thought homosexual – back in the first series there was a running joke that Sherlock and Martin Freeman’s John Watson were in a relationship, much to Dr Watson’s assertions to the contrary.

Anyway, Tumblr: you’ve heard it from the man himself. Bring us ALL of your filthiest gay fanfiction, please.

Here are some pictures of Benedict Cumberbatch looking like a dad that are really doing it for us r.n.