Sherlock viewers have met the detective's parents twice before in the series, once in season three opener The Empty Hearse when they visited his Baker Street flat for tea (much to a busy Sherlock's irritation) and again when the Holmes family gathered together for a cosy Christmas (complete with a drugged dinner) in the final episode of the run, His Last Vow.

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And when they met Sherlock's parents, they also met Benedict Cumberbatch's real-life mum and dad. Wanda Ventham, 81, and Timothy Carlton (real name Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch), 77, play Mr and Mrs Holmes, and they made another appearance in the series four finale, The Final Problem.

The pair were seen angrily reacting to the news that their other son Mycroft, played by Mark Gatiss, had faked their murderous daughter Eurus's death in a house fire and had been keeping her in a maximum security facility ever since.

These days, Cumberbatch is probably used to acting alongside his parents but back in 2014 when they made their debut he said it was an emotional moment.

“I nearly cried watching it,” the star said. “I’m so proud of them and I’m so proud of the reaction they got – and I think they’re perfect casting as my parents!”

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This article was originally published on 19 January 2017

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