Benedict Cumberbatch believes that the American “re-imagining” of Sherlock won’t damage the BBC version.

Cumberbatch told TVLine: “I wish them luck, I really do,” the actor insists. “I think it will be great. It will be a different spin on it, because obviously, theirs is modern-day as well, so it needs to be different from ours, and I think the more differences, the better, to be honest.

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t co-exist with us,” he adds, “I don’t think they’ll steal our audience. I think people who are Holmes fans who think they do a good job of it will have a treat in watching ours and the films. So I wish them good luck!”

Cumberbatch also gave his opinion on the controversial gender switch of Watson.

“If I were the [producer], I’d be frightened of the dynamic of male friendship that you’d lose because that is obviously the bedrock of the books as well.

“[Now] there might be sexual tension between Joan [Watson] and Sherlock, which is [a different dynamic than you’d have] between the two men. So, that’s a new thing to explore.”