That Time I Met Benedict Cumberbatch

I was so so happy to find out that Benedict Cumberbatch, my idol, would be coming to the north. I got my dad to book tickets straight away. Not long after that, there was a problem and that he would not be going. I was so upset, I felt like crying. 

One Friday, as I was coming back from college, I was sat in the back of a taxi on my phone and saw a tweet confirming that Benedict would be there, my whole face lit up and I just wanted to jump up and down. I got home, paid the driver and then ran inside the house, scaring my mum and started screaming 'BENEDICT WILL BE AT THE CONVENTION'. 

When the day finally arrived, the 2nd of February, I and my dad got up at 5:30 AM to get ready to drive to Birmingham which is only an hour away from me, however, we wanted to make sure we were there. So, we both got ready and headed out the door and made our way there, I couldn't believe that this was actually happening to me. 

We got there and I and my dad have never been to a convention before but because I am a part of the Fandom world, I knew what to expect, and so did my dad really because well, it's common knowledge that cosplayers are at conventions. 

I saw soo many great cosplayer's, two people even cosplayed Sherlock and John at the wedding, that had to be my favourite one. I saw so many great T Shirts and Sherlock stuff. 

We all signed in and got our things that came with the tickets. 

Now came the queueing, the queues were very, very long. We were all in a giant room, and then Internet life became real life as people just randomly started talking to me, I was used to this and just found it great but I think my dad was confused as to why people I didn't know started talking to us. This lovely girl started talking the Fandom language and I knew exactly what she was talking about, I wish the same could be said for my dad who whispered in my ear 'what is she talking about?'. 

As I was stood around with my dad near the lifts, the lift doors open and Jonathan Aris walks out, the man who plays Anderson walks out. My eyes lit up and he looked directly at me, except he seemed to not want to be noticed and I didn't want to point him out anyway so he would get mobbed. I sort of whispered excitedly to my dad who it was and because at the time he had never watched an episode of Sherlock (he has now), he didn't know who I meant. This happened about five times and on the fifth time, another girl's eyes lit up and she smiled at him and I recall her saying 'you lower the IQ of the entire street'.

Now, came the exciting time of different numbers of tickets being called up to queue up to meet the man himself, Benedict Cumberbatch. 

2 hours later, I and my dad were in the queue for the photo with The Batch, I told my dad to go before me so he wouldn't watch me. We got in to the room and there he was, at the very bottom of the room. I had never been so elated in my life. I started slapping my dad's arm saying 'oh my god he's here, he's here'. 

My dad went before me and I just watched in awe as my dad had a photo with Benedict. Next, came my turn, Benedict smiled at me, put his arm around me and asked me 'Are you okay?' and I sort of forced myself to say 'yeah'. I didn't know where to put my hand as there was a sign outside that said 'any groping will lead to police involvement' so I just went for round his waist, which felt nice but muscular. The flash went off and I started to walk away and he put his arm around me and whilst smiling and half laughing, looking at me with those lovely oceanic eyes, said 'Have a lovely day alright'. I then embarrassingly did some sort of weird curtsy and said 'Thank You'. 

Now, as I had an exam in the morning, I decided to go home and not stay for the autographs, I still to this day do not know why I didn't stay. Anyway, so then what just happened seemed to catch up with me and my eyes started to tear up. I walked out of the room, eyes wide, my hand covering my mouth, and saying 'Oh my god' to myself. 

Everyone was just looking at me on my way out, some saying 'aww bless her'. This girl then came up to me and said 'Have you just met Ben' and I nodded and she said 'I can tell because everyone who has looks just like you, they said they could see the universe in his eyes'. 

I got out of the building and started jumping to the car. When my dad went to go and find where to pay for the parking ticket, I rang up one of my best friends and sort of said garble to her like this 'ahdhbhbhv I shfhhf just shrhrhfhhf met shdhrhrh him'. She couldn't understand and asked me to repeat myself and so I screamed 'I JUST MET BENEDICT' and she started saying how happy she was for me. 

Then my dad came back to the car and I rang my mum and at this point, I had lost all ability to form sentences or even words. I tried to but to no avail, so I handed the phone to my dad who said 'Courtenay can't speak right now'. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

So, that is the story of the day I met my idol. To this day, I still can't believe it happened. Also, I have never seen so many people redoing their make up and touching up their hair. Before I leave this now, here is the picture of I and Benedict. 

P.S- At prom last year, we got a bracelet that you make a wish on and when it comes true, your bracelet will snap, I never took mine off, not even for shower's and it snapped a day before I met Benedict