Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany just insulted Game of Thrones star, Emilia Clarke, at the premiere of House of the Dragon in Sydney, Australia.
Delany appeared at the premiere of the first episode of the Game of Thrones prequel to deliver a speech wherein he joked about his initial reaction to Game of Thrones back in 2011. Unfortunately, his attempt at humor fell flat among those in attendance. Several audiences mentioned that the statement shocked them, with film critic, Travis Johnson, mentioning in a tweet that he couldn't "believe someone would say that on [the] mic."
Neither Clarke nor Delany has addressed the issue. However, the Foxtel Group has since issued an apology to Clarke.
Here is Foxtel's statement regarding the incident:
The aim was to convey that for him, Game of Thrones was something very different for television in 2011 and that Emilia Clarke went from relatively unknown to one of the most recognized and most-loved actors in television and film. On behalf of Mr. Delany, the Foxtel Group apologizes if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offense.