Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch - Benedict Cumberbatch announced his engagement to Sophie Hunter through a classified ad in the marriages section of The Times on Wednesday morning. 

"The engagement is announced between Benedict, son of Wanda and Timothy Cumberbatch of London, and Sophie, daughter of Katharine Hunter of Edinburgh and Charles Hunter of London," the ad reads.

The news of Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch's engagement has taken many gossip sites and female fans by surprise, especially since the couple have kept their relationship out of the spot light.

The 38 years old British actor and the 36 years old actress and theatre director have only been pictured together at the French Open earlier in the year.

Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch are reported to have met in 2009 while working on a Susan Luciani film called Burlesque Fairytales.

The fiancée of the Sherlock Holmes star is a graduate of the University of Oxford and has won several awards as a theater director, although she isn't as popular as Benedict Cumberbatch.

In 2007, Sophie Hunter she won the Samuel Beckett award for writing and directing her play titled "The Terrific Electric." Sophie Hunter has overseen several successful productions, including The Rape of Lucretia, Mozart's The Magic Flute and Ibsen's Ghosts.

News about the announcement of Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch's engagement has since gone viral. Fans, especially female diehard loyalists of the actor, have taken to social media to express their thoughts on the announcement. 

One fan talked about being contacted by her family and friends to ascertain how she is handling the news. Another fan notes that Sophie Hunter will be hated over her engagement to the hot throb.

While the world reacts to the news of Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch's engagement, the pair are yet to announce the actual date that they would tie the knot.