How do you become a Guinness World Record holder? It’s Elementary, my dear Watson. One simply dresses as Sherlock Holmes, joins over four hundred others and descends upon Temple Newsam near Leeds.


That’s exactly what happened yesterday when 443 fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth donned their deerstalkers and set a record for the most people dressed like the world-famous detective, as played in the BBC1 series Sherlock by Benedict Cumberbatch.

The event easily surpassed the 250 fans required to land an official Guinness World Record, as each participant paid £15 to receive a pipe, magnifying glass and replica of Sherlock’s iconic tweed hat.

All funds raised from the bid were donated to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals to contribute towards a new Yorkshire Brain Research Centre.

The centre’s appeal director, Clair Challenor-Chadwick, said, “Sherlock was the perfect fit for brain research as the brainiest detective of all time was born in Yorkshire. He helped us raise awareness of this much under-funded area to help patients with dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and MS.”

Supporters and Sherlock fans are being encouraged to TEXT BRAIN to 88811 to donate £5 and nominate a friend to take part in a #sherlockselfie.

Sherlock creator Steven Moffat and his wife and TV producer Sue Vertue were unable to attend after returning from the Emmys (where Sherlock won seven awards) but the pair sent in a special video message for fans. They also donated a script from BBC’s Sherlock signed by all the cast to be awarded to the best-dressed attendee.


The event was hosted by actor and comedian Neil Grainger who took to Twitter to share a snap of his record-breaking Sherlocks…