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Steven Moffat: ‘Sherlock Holmes isn’t straight’

By Josh Haggis

Steven Moffat has claimed that Sherlock Holmes isn’t straight…but also isn’t gay.

Despite actor Benedict Cumberbatch recently hinting that he plays Sherlock as a gay man, the co-creator of the popular BBC series has claimed that the iconic detective “stays away” from sexual thoughts in order to keep his mind on the job in hand.

Sherlock

“We walk into that one all the time,” Moffat explained. “It’s a funny thing when a character for over 100 years has been saying, ‘I don’t do that at all.’ He’s been saying it over 100 years!” said Moffat.

“He’s willfully staying away from that to keep his brain pure — a Victorian belief. But everyone wants to believe he’s gay. He’s not gay. He’s not straight.”

Moffat also cleared up fan speculation about Watson’s sexuality, saying: “[It] is very clear that he prefers women. People want to fantasize about it. It’s fine. But it’s not in the show,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a recent issue of Attitude, former cover star Andrew Scott discussed the wealth of gay fan-fiction that the detective series has inspired – find out more here.

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