It is time to return to Westeros as new Game of Throne spin-off House Of The Dragon is almost upon us. But one person who may have been left with a sour taste in her mouth following the new HBO series premiere is actress Emilia Clarke, 35, who played Daenerys Targaryen in its critically-acclaimed predecessor.
Outrage was sparked across social media when the boss of an Australian TV-subscription company branded Emilia a "short and dumpy girl". Foxtel's CEO Patrick Delany made the controversial comment as he gave a speech on Tuesday at the premiere of HBO's series House of the Dragon. Patrick said: "I was like, 'What’s this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?'" according to Crikey.
Whilst Emilia herself has yet to respond to the comment, a spokesperson for the Foxtel Group has issued an apology on behalf of Patrick. The statement reads: "The aim was to convey that for him, Games of Thrones was something very different for television in 2011 and that Emilia Clarke went from relatively unknown to one of the most recognised and most-loved actors in television and film. On behalf of Mr Delany, the Foxtel Group apologises if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offence."
