Benedict Cumberbatch and a very British engagement

Hidden in the births, marriages and deaths section on page 57 of the Times newspaper on Wednesday, was an announcement that Mr B.T. Cumberbatch and Miss S.I. Hunter, a theatre director, were engaged.

The Times reported the announcement in a small article on page 20 of the newspaper, and apparently didn’t give it more prominence as the newspaper “respected the couple’s desire to get the news out first.”

The listing also let us in on the fact that the Sherlock Holmes actor’s mother is called Wanda and his dad, Timothy.

Mr Cumberbatch is best known for playing Sherlock Homes in the BBC TV drama Sherlock. In 2014, Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Ms Hunter has appeared in numerous TV films and stage productions, and now works mainly as a theatre director. She appeared alongside Cumberbatch in the TV drama Burlesque Fairytales in 2009.

The couple have shied away from the limelight and only confirmed they were together earlier this year. But the low-key announcement comes as a bit of shock compared to what we’re used to, especially from our celebs across the Atlantic: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian became engaged in a baseball stadium with pyrotechnics, a 90-piece orchestra and hundreds of friends watching from behind-the-scenes.

The whole event was filmed for Mrs Kardashian’s reality TV show. And somehow we can’t see Ms Hunter going there any time soon.