The boss of an Australian TV subscription company has triggered outrage by calling Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke a 'short and dumpy girl'.
Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany made the comment at a speech at the Sydney premiere of new spinoff of the hit fantasy show, House of the Dragon, ahead of its launch on Monday.
Delany told an audience he was late to the party watching the original series.
'I was like, 'What's this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?'' Australian website Crikey reported him as saying.
Crikey also said the audience reaction to Delany's comments was swift.
"It felt like he was expecting us to laugh along but people in the room were obviously shocked by it," one said.
"There was a bit of a gasp," another said.
A Foxtel Group spokesperson told Crikey Delany’s comments were meant to be self-deprecating and light-hearted.
"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," a statement said.
"On behalf of Mr Delany, the Foxtel Group apologises if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offence."
There's been no response from Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen in the original series.
In July, Clarke revealed she had "quite a bit" of her brain missing after emergency surgeries following two aneurysms, and said it was "remarkable" she was still able to speak.
"It was the most excruciating pain," Clarke said of the aneurysm and subsequent recovery. "It was incredibly helpful to have Game of Thrones sweep me up and give me that purpose."
House of the Dragon is an HBO show that will be streaming in New Zealand on Neon.
