Rowling says she has never been tempted to kill Harry before now

She told the Richard and Judy show that she had long known how the series would end, because she had written the last chapter "in something like 1990".

"One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," she said.

She refused to elaborate, as "I don't want the hate mail or anything else".

Rowling said she could understand why authors might want to finish off their main characters in order to ensure they could never be resurrected.

She would not say if this would be the case with Harry.

However, she admitted she had "never been tempted to kill him off before the final because I've always planned seven books, and I want to finish on seven books".

'Arrogant'

This approach had meant she had been "lambasted" by several people, she said.

"I think they thought it was very arrogant of me to write the end of my seven books series when I didn't have a publisher and no-one had heard of me."

The author also told the Channel 4 programme she didn't expect to create a character more successful than the teenage wizard.

"I don't think I'm ever going to have anything like Harry again. You just get one like Harry."

On Sunday, Rowling attended the Queen's 80th birthday party at Buckingham Palace, and said she was "doing well" with the final book.

However, she did not confirm a publication date.