He also said right at the beginning something like - who knows who he fancies?  And suggested it might be himself.  I don't think orientation has ever been the issue.   But I think we've been shown that the feelings are there - but repressed.  That's the sexual volcano bit. 

JP, yes, and there was Benedict's comment at SDCC about him being sexually inexperienced, so if there as an ex, it would likely be somebody admired from afar, or perhaps a childhood crush.  Even just Redbeard, the actual dog.  Or the other one (the sibling?).   I'm just convinced that they're going to explore this "choosing to be alone" thing further.  I'm also convinced that he's not going to end up paired with somebody (except John as a friend!).  I'd honestly be shocked if that happened.   But somehow, I think his feelings are going to be tested, challenged, explored a bit more.    Just fancying somebody and falling for them and losing focus - that's already been done with Irene, so it has to be something else. 

The actual quote is here: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/02/08/doctor-who-sherlock-steven-moffat-benedict-cumberbatch-on-the-sexification-fetisization-tumblrization-of-the-doctor-holmes

Sherlock Holmes, again, must have sexual impulses because human beings tend to -- most human beings, not absolutely all, but that's the majority. The fact is, he decides to put all that in an iron box to make his brain work better. Of course, the fact that that iron box bounces around and shakes and bangs from the inside is what makes the story interesting. He wants to rise above us like a snowcapped mountain, but he's actually a volcano, and that's where the story is. That's where the story is. You know, you shove Irene Adler in front of him, and he just falls apart like most men would. [Laughs]

Now personally, I love the volcano idea.  I don't want to see him in a romantic/sexual relationship, I want him to be kind of untouchable, but I do want to see him repressing his feelings and denying himself.   Don't ask me why.  As I say, I think ASIB dealt with that, and kind of dismissed the idea of him being actually asexual in terms of lack of desire.  It's there, underneath, perhaps all the more powerful because it doesn't have an outlet.  But I think that most of the time, it's very much under control and he genuinely is just able to forget about it.   Certainly with Molly, he seems oblivious (which did made him appear asexual in S1). 

But this emphasis on "that's where the story is" makes me wonder if they'll bring up this again, in some way?  With all the comments around S4, I just keep getting that feeling.    Perhaps they won't in the romantic sense ... after all, in the general sense, this is about somebody suppressing their emotions, but being almost hyperemotional underneath it all.  He's very emotionally driven, I think, even if he doesn't want to admit it.  

(Falling apart "like most men" when he meets Irene Adler, does strongly suggest that he's attracted to women). 

If you mean me, I did say that he said he was sexually inexperienced (i.e. having little experience), not that he'd had no sex at all!  But that leaves quite a wide range between being a virgin, and I suppose being relatively inexperienced for a 40ish guy. 

I do take what Benedict says about the character seriously, because I think he does, but I also bear in mind that he said that Steven Moffat didn't give him much back story to start with.   But I think Steven also said something about him imagining that he'd had some experience in the past.
 

Thanks for posting the full Moffat volcano quote Liberty. That is what  I was referring to. I think that is the most sensible and accurate thing Moff has said regarding Sherlocks sexuality , even if it is jumbled in with his usual rambling filler.  

Liberty wrote:

If you mean me, I did say that he said he was sexually inexperienced (i.e. having little experience), not that he'd had no sex at all!  But that leaves quite a wide range between being a virgin, and I suppose being relatively inexperienced for a 40ish guy. 

I do take what Benedict says about the character seriously, because I think he does, but I also bear in mind that he said that Steven Moffat didn't give him much back story to start with.   But I think Steven also said something about him imagining that he'd had some experience in the past.
 

Ah, yes, true. And I doubt he has very much experience. 

Then again... WHY are spending so much time discussing Sherlock's (non-existent-ish) sex-life? 

Well this is the johnlock thread , and if an active volcano does go off , the people most at risk are the closest.

Mothonthemantel wrote:

Well this is the johnlock thread , and if an active volcano does go off , the people most at risk are the closest.

LOL! 

To be honest, I didn't see the volcano remark as being purely about sex. I always thought it related to emotions in general. And the fact that even though he tries to portray a facade of being cold, detached and "a sosippath" (see, not only Mary who's doing a facade), there is actually a lot of emotions going on inside him. And especially since he doesn't alllow himself to express them, probably tries his best to suppress tham and not even feel them - well, if you put a cork into a bottle with enough pressure... 

I think it's about sex, in that Moffat is clearly talking about sexual feelings in that paragraph.   But I don't think it's about sexual performance or anything like that - more about the emotions.   And I agree, that it's similar to emotions in general.  But he is quite happy to express some feelings (frustration, etc.), while some are much more tightly controlled. 

Sorry, I read the quote again and you're right. It seems to relate mostly to sexual emotions. And I*m glad I was right about him actually having an unwillful reaction towards Irene. Yay, one of my analysis was correct!