Una Stubbs has said she feels as protective towards Sherlock co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as if they were her own sons.

The Big Painting Challenge presenter stars as housekeeper Mrs Hudson in the BBC drama series alongside Benedict and Martin, which has a massive following and goes to great lengths to keep plot twists from fans during filming.

She told TV Times: “I do enjoy it, I’ve had to give a whole pile of scripts in to be shredded!”

Sherlock Benedict Cumberbatch Martin Freeman
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman plays Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson in Sherlock (BBC)

Una added: “People always come up and say they love Mrs Hudson. She’s like I am with my sons and that’s why I played her that way. In real life I’m protective of Benedict and Martin too, I won’t hear a bad word about them.”

The actress also makes a guest appearance in another BBC drama, Call The Midwife, this weekend where she plays a hard-up pensioner with an ill husband.

Call The Midwife Una Stubbs
Una appears in Call The Midwife this weekend (BBC)

But she said she wasn’t looking forward to watching her episode back: “I didn’t want to look. I’m not good at watching myself on screen anyway, because you never know if you’ve pulled it off.

“I liked the variation of the role though, not being jolly and just being really sad was a nice change.”