Benedict Cumberbatch refuses to be away from his family for more than two weeks at a time

Asked what irritates his family, Benedict said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast: "Being away from home p***** them off."

Benedict - who has Christopher, ten, Hal, eight, and Finn, six, with his wife Sophie Hunter - also hates being away from his family for long periods of time.

The actor explained that he tries to prioritise his family life by implementing the "two-week rule".

He said: "It p***** me off too, so we try and do as much to make that not the case - the two-week rule, and try to work as hard as possible on making work happen here nearer home so I can get home, or take them with me."

Benedict previously admitted that he's thought more about "mortality" since becoming a dad.

The film star revealed that fatherhood has changed his entire outlook on life.

Speaking to Variety, Benedict explained: "The minute you have kids this sense of time sinks in far more profoundly.

"My youngest is turning six, and I'm like, 'I will be in my 60s when he's 21,' you know? It's crazy. It's gone so fast. So there's a huge shift in priorities, and it makes you value what you do with your life in a very different way.

"It does weigh on me. When you become a parent, your thoughts turn more towards mortality."

In 2004, Benedict and some friends were robbed and abducted by six men while they were in South Africa.

The actor confessed that the terrifying incident has left an indelible mark on his own personality.

He reflected: "It gave me a sense of time, but not necessarily a good one. It made me impatient to live a life less ordinary, and I'm still dealing with that impatience."

The near-death experience also turned Benedict into a so-called adrenaline junkie.

The movie star shared: "The near-death stuff turbo-fuelled all that. It made me go, 'Oh, right, yeah, I could die at any moment.'

"I was throwing myself out of planes, taking all sorts of risks. But apart from my parents, I didn't have any real dependents at that point.

"Now that's changed, and that sobers you."