Benedict Cumberbatch says he's welcoming a Ukrainian family into his home after they fled the war

• Benedict Cumberbatch says he's in the process of welcoming a Ukrainian family into his home.
• The "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" actor first announced his intention in March.

Benedict Cumberbatch said he's in the process of welcoming a refugee Ukrainian family to stay in his home.

Speaking at a London photocall for "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness," the Marvel star announced that the family he is welcoming has "made it out of Ukraine" and he is "monitoring their progress every day."

"Sadly, they are undergoing some medical treatment — to say anything more about that would be an invasion of their privacy and too much about when they're coming and how that's being managed would invade mine," he said. "But I want to give them some stability after the turmoil that they've experienced, and that's within my home."

Cumberbatch also disclosed that he has been helping other families with the cost of housing them in the UK.

"I've been trying to help other Ukrainian families — nationals that are UK citizens — to house their extended families en masse, which you know they want to do, but it's very costly," he continued. "So, I've been trying to help out with that financially in a couple of instances."

The actor explained that he has been working with the charity Refugees at Home, which serves as a "great gateway" to the UK government's Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Refugees at Home also provides mental health support for fleeing Ukrainians. "However gentle and generous and welcoming we are as hosts, we don't have the skills of the mental health professions to necessarily deal with those things," he explained.

Cumberbatch previously announced his intention to house a family at the 75th British Academy Film Awards in March.

"We all need to do more than wear a badge. We need to donate, we need to pressure our politicians to continue to create some kind of a refugee safety and a haven here for people who are suffering," he said.

"Everyone needs to do as much as they can … there's been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, I hope to be part of that myself," he added.

Cumberbatch has been followed by BBC presenter and former England footballer Gary Lineker, who previously opened his home to a Syrian refugee in 2020.

Responding to criticism from The Reclaim Party on Twitter, Lineker stated that he "will continue to host" and described Refugees at Home as "amazing."