TV executive apologises to Emilia Clarke for calling her 'short, dumpy girl'

An Australian TV executive has apologised to Emilia Clarke for describing her as a "short, dumpy girl".

On Wednesday, editors at Crikey reported that Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany made the comment about the British actress at the Sydney premiere of Game of Thrones prequel series House of Dragon earlier this week.

According to the outlet, Delany recalled his initial reaction to watching the hit HBO show, in which Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen, to the crowd, and stated, "I was like, 'What's this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?'"

The comment fell flat, with one attendee noting that there was a "bit of a gasp" in the audience.

On Thursday, a representative for Foxtel issued an apology to Clarke on Delany's behalf.

"Mr Delany's welcome remarks at the House of the Dragon premiere were intended to be self-deprecating and light-hearted," they said. "The aim was to convey that for him, Game of Thrones had been 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."

Clarke, 35, has not yet responded to the controversy.

House of the Dragon, based on portions of George R.R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood, is set to premiere on 21 August.