Is Benedict Cumberbatch saying goodbye to Sherlock?

Though he has been loyal to the BBC show despite rising to global fame and making it big in Hollywood, Cumberbatch has hinted that he is considering his options - and saying goodbye to 221B Baker Street is a strong possibility.

The 40-year-old, who has a baby boy with theatre director wife Sophie Hunter and another kid on the way, told The Telegraph that family life has given him new priorities.

“The older I get, the happier I am. Yes, work is going well, which is nice, but I’ve also had a very rich couple of years personally," he explained.

“I’m grateful that I and my family have our health and that I’m still doing the work I love, so it’s a golden moment.

"Of course, I now have extra responsibilities and I do have to make certain decisions about the future because there are more people in my life who are important to me."

Speaking ahead of the New Year's Day episode, he said the new series was "something very complete", suggesting it wouldn't be easy to make another.

“This new series goes to a place where it will be hard to follow on immediately," he said. “We never say never on the show, but in the immediate future we all have things we want to crack on with, and we’ve made something very complete as it its.

"So I think we’ll just have to wait and see."