Emilia Clarke: what did Foxtel CEO say about star at House of the Dragon premiere - is she in prequel?

Attendees to the premiere of the eagerly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon were left in shock when the CEO of Australia’s leading subscription television company seemed to insult Daenerys Targaryen actress Emilia Clarke.

Patrick Delany,  CEO of the Foxtel Group, made the comments about the actress during a speech at the event in Sydney, Australia, ahead of a screening of the first episode of House Of the Dragon - and they didn’t go down well with the audience.

So, what exactly did Delany say, how did the audience react, has Emilia Clarke responded and will she be in House of the Dragon?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What did the Foxtel CEO say about Emilia Clarke?

Delany referred to Emilia Clarke as a “short, dumpy girl”.

Telling the audience about how he was late to begin watching Game Of Thrones when the series first started, he supposedly said: “I was like, “What’s this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?”

How did the audience react to the comments from the Foxtel CEO?

The audience were left unimpressed and shocked by the comments, according to Australian electronic magazine Crikey.

One audience member told the publication: “It felt like he was expecting us to laugh along but people in the room were obviously shocked by it.”

‘There was a bit of a gasp,’ another said.

What did the Foxtel Group say in response?

In a statement given to Crikey, the Foxtel Group apologised for any offence caused.

The full statement read: “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 apologies if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offence.”

Has Emilia Clarke responded to the comments?

At the time of writing, Emilia Clarke, has not responded publicly to the comments made by Delany.

What is House of the Dragon about and will Emilia Clarke be in it?

The new Game Of Thrones prequel series is all about House Targaryen and the civil war and chaos that ensues when no clear line of succession emerges after Viserys I Targaryen’s reign.

Viewers will see rival factions clash in court and on the battlefield. The main characters in the new show are the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen, one of the chief protagonists of the Game Of Thrones series.

House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke’s character, Daenerys Targaryen, will not be in the show, however.

In fact, none of the original cast are included in HBO’s cast listings.

Who is Emilia Clarke?

Emilia Clarke, whose full name is Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke, is a stage and screen actress.

The 35-year-old actress made a name for herself playing Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO hit show Game of Thrones.

She received a number of accolades, including an Empire Award, a Saturn Award, in addition to nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a 2019 place on the Time 100.

Clarke was born in London, and studied at the Drama Centre London before appearing in a number of stage productions.

Her television debut was a guest appearance in the BBC One medical soap opera Doctors in 2009.

The following year, she was named as one of the "UK Stars of Tomorrow" by Screen International magazine for her role in the TV film Triassic Attack (2010).

She is currently making her West End debut in a production of The Seagull, which is at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London until Saturday 10 September.