Sherlock was seen throwing himself off a rooftop in The Reichenbach Fall (Picture: BBC)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

The secret behind the mysterious fake death in BBC series Sherlock has finally been revealed by sources close to the Benedict Cumberbatch-led show.

In a dramatic cliffhanger ending to 2012 episode The Reichenbach Fall, Sherlock Holmes was seen falling to his death, only to be seen alive moments later.

Fans have speculated for over a year about how the character, played by Cumberbatch, could have faked his own death, but now the truth is finally out.


‘Sherlock faked his death in The Reichenbach Fall by jumping onto a large bouncy castle,’ a production source revealed.

‘Sherlock fans are known for their penchant for coming up with theories to solve mysteries we set,’ the insider continued, ‘and there have been some very plausible ideas this time.



‘But we’ve outwitted them this time. No one would have guessed that a bouncy castle would be at the heart of the resolution. It’s too clever.’

In The Reichenbach Fall, Sherlock’s friend and assistant Dr Watson (Martin Freeman) is seen watching in horror as Sherlock leaps off the roof of St Bartholmew’s Hospital in London.

Knocked off his bicycle, Watson is thrown to the ground and when he looks up, Sherlock’s lifeless body is being carried away by hospital staff.

The source said Watson’s momentary lapse in concentration was crucial to the complex resolution of the mystery.

Sherlock bosses will employ the use of a bouncy castle, like the one in this file picture

It’s during this time that the bouncy castle removal men come and take the bouncy castle away, leaving some ketchup on the pavement so that it looks like Sherlock’s blood.

The bouncy castle is said to be printed with images of the street onto which Sherlock falls, so that it blends in with its surroundings and becomes invisible.

Speaking to The Guardian last year, showrunner Steven Moffat said of the episode: ‘There is a clue everybody’s missed … So many people theorising about Sherlock’s death online – and they missed it!’

The missing clue is believed to be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of a van whose side reads ‘Barry’s Bouncy Castle Hire’.

Filming for series three of Sherlock has already begun and the resolution to the fake death mystery has been shot.

‘The cast and crew had great fun on the bouncy castle while they were filming,’ added the source.

‘Benedict was on there for hours and had to be coaxed off with a bottle of Sunny Delight. He’s just a big kid, that guy.’

April Fool! In case there was any doubt, this is just a big joke from Metro on April Fools’ Day 2013…