Game of Thrones: Mother's Mercy, talking points (SPOILERS)

"Although Jon is indeed stabbed by his own men in the books, there's a popular fan theory that this is not the last we've seen of him. The fact that Melisandre, who deserted Stannis before his humiliation on the battlefield, has just arrived at Castle Black and may possibly possess magical powers to raise the dead, seems all too convenient. (Although, where else was she going to go?) Jon was left in a similar state to The Hound, bleeding and seemingly mortally wounded but not absolutely definitely dead. We've also still yet to learn the truth about his parentage, which will be far less fun if he's not alive to learn with us."

How Twitter reacted to Game of Thrones' most controversial season yet

I'm just going to start getting behind the White Walkers...they seem like the only horse to back at this point. #GameofThronesFinale — Michael Collins (@MCFanSided) June 15, 2015

Season five saw fans shocked by rape, murder, and more murder. See the entire season recapped in Twitter reaction.

Game of Thrones, episode 10: 'powerful and sad'

But is he really dead? Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones

"After treating us to the (literally and figuratively) uplifting vision of Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys escaping on a dragon last week, the programme-makers clearly decided we’d had quite enough happiness and exhilaration, and instead decided to end season five in the bleakest way possible: on a lingering shot of a murdered Jon Snow (Kit Harington), eyes closed, surrounded by a growing pool of dark blood."

Game of Thrones: the five biggest changes from the books

We've complied a list of the five biggest changes that the HBO show has made from George RR Martin's books this season: Sansa marrying Ramsay, Stannis burning his daughter, Barristan Selmy dying, Tyrion meeting Daenerys and absolutely everything that's happened in Dorne. Do you think these changes were a good idea, or a step in the wrong direction? Read our verdicts, and vote in our poll to have your say.

Game of Thrones: the characters who vanished

Game of Thrones, episode nine: 'new depths of brutality

"Princess Shireen’s death, burned alive by her own father Stannis Baratheon (on Melisandre’s suggestion) as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light, was one of the most upsetting scenes this series. It was so horrific that there was even a “distressing scenes” warning shown during the mid-episode commercial break immediately preceding it, but nothing could prepare me for Shireen’s screams of terror and pain as she pleaded with her own parents not to murder her. It was heartbreaking."

Game of Thrones, episode eight: ' a horror masterpiece'

"Ultimately it was a cross between Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Dawn of the Dead and the battle of Helm’s Deep. The high-adrenaline action sequences were exquisitely handled, and the White Walkers themselves, along with their army of the undead, proved themselves to be terrific, instant classic fantasy horror characters. Much scarier than orcs, certainly. Vampires? Can’t hold a candle to them. The Midwich Cuckoos? A harmless lullaby compared with Game of Thrones’s reanimated corpses of freshly killed children, with eyeballs of blue ice and mouldering ribcages open to the elements, feasting on their own still-living mothers. It was nightmare material of grade A purity."

Sexual violence in George RR Martin's novels is far worse than in the Game of Thrones TV series

There are four times as many instances of rape in George RR Martin's Game of Thrones novels than there are on the HBO show – and the way in which the books portray sexual violence is arguably more insulting to women than in the television series.

A recent statistical analysis, by a Tumblr-user named Tafkar, calculates that, to date, there have been 214 acts of rape in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series (the inspiration behind the television series), and 117 rape victims.

In contrast, on the show, there have been 50 acts of rape, and 29 victims.

Tafkar admits to being surprised by the sheer number of rapes portrayed in the books.

But her most worrying find is the fact that, while each of the chapters in Martin's novels is told from the perspective of an individual character, the rape victims themselves are rarely "point of view" narrators.

Game of Thrones, episode seven: 'mesmerising'

Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones

"Back in King’s Landing, one of the most mesmerising scenes Game of Thrones has ever shown was taking place, in the form of a magnificent two-hander between Jonathan Pryce and Dame Diana Rigg. As Lady Olenna tried to rescue her grandchildren, Loras and Margaery, from the clutches of the High Sparrow, we were treated to a masterclass in flawless dramatic performance from these two national treasures."

US Senator condemns Game of Thrones rape

Claire McCaskill, a Democrat senator from Missouri, has said that the "gratuitous" and "disgusting" rape scene recently shown in Game of Thrones has made her abandon the show.

HBO, which screens the series, declined comment on the reaction to the episode.

Ok, I'm done Game of Thrones.Water Garden, stupid.Gratuitous rape scene disgusting and unacceptable.It was a rocky ride that just ended. — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) May 19, 2015

George RR Martin defends Game of Thrones rape

George RR Martin

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has written an article on his website, addressing the "flood of emails" he has received about the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

He stated that the TV and book versions of Game of Thrones were different, and that the small changes TV producers start making can swiftly become far larger ones:

"There have been differences between the novels and the television show since the first episode of season one. And for just as long, I have been talking about the butterfly effect.

"Small changes lead to larger changes lead to huge changes. HBO is more than 40 hours into the impossible and demanding task of adapting my lengthy (extremely) and complex (exceedingly) novels, with their layers of plots and subplots, their twists and contradictions and unreliable narrators, viewpoint shifts and ambiguities, and a cast of characters in the hundreds."

Rape on TV: has Game of Thrones gone too far?

Game of Thrones has always pushed taste boundaries when it comes to nudity, violence and gore. But Sunday night's episode, which featured the marriage and wedding night-rape of Sansa Stark, shocked audiences, and left many asking if the creators had taken things too far.

Sansa, who has had an unfortunate history of being betrothed to hideous young suitors, was assaulted by her new husband, Ramsay Bolton - who made his tortured liege, Sansa's childhood friend Theon Greyjoy, watch.

The scene in question also marked a dramatic departure from George RR Martin's original books.

Game of Thrones, episode six: 'harder to watch than the Red Wedding'

"Like Daenerys, Sansa may rise from this experience to become stronger, and there was a glimpse of serious backbone when she informed Ramsay's malevolent mistress Myranda that 'I’m Sansa Stark of Winterfell, this is my home and you can’t frighten me.' But although full credit should go to Sophie Turner and Alfie Allen, in particular, for their heartbreaking performances as Sansa and Theon, this grim scene was difficult for the show to justify. Sansa has been through plenty already and using rape as female character development is a fantasy cliché that can so easily look crass. Why did the show allow Sansa to survive Joffrey, only to put her through this?"

Game of Thrones, episode five: 'spine-chilling'

"Ramsay was enjoying strutting around Winterfell naked, as if it were a tropical paradise and not an icy wilderness. This sort of carry-on makes me wonder if Ramsay actively brainstorms ways to look terrifying, in between murdering women and chopping off the genitals of his human playthings."

Game of Thrones, episode four: 'scintillatingly high-octane'

"After a slow start to season five, episode four hurtled by in a flash, blows flying and swords blazing, with interesting power vacuums opening up all over the place. The best moments were the enormous street battles in Meereen, scenes thrown into bloody relief against understated scheming and sexual tension between Sansa and Littlefinger in gloomy caverns, the re-ignited bromance between Jaime and Bronn, and the ominous Sparrows seizing power in King’s Landing."

Game of Thrones, episode three: 'Welcome to the madness, Jonathan Pryce'

Jonathan Pryce in Game of Thrones

"Excellent news for those mourning the departure of Charles Dance at the end of season four: another veteran British actor has joined the cast. Jonathan Pryce made his first appearance as the High Sparrow in the midst of a Reformation-style plotline. It was all a bit Wolf Hall: the incumbent High Septon in King’s Landing, caught in a fruity religion-themed sex game in Littlefinger's brothel, had something of the Cardinal Wolsey about him."

Game of Thrones, episode two: 'dominated by Daenerys'

"It's hard to remember now the meek young virgin [Daenerys] was in season one, given how completely she has transformed into a scary, merciless queen - albeit one whose future as a ruler was now hanging in the balance."

Could ignoring George RR Martin's books be a stroke of genius for Game of Thrones?

One episode in, and fans have noted that the show is already veering quite significantly away from Martin's books. But not everyone thinks this is a bad thing ...

"A decision to diverge may be the best thing that ever happens to Game of Thrones," says Telegraph writer Charlotte Runcie. "This way, it won’t just be viewers who haven’t read the books who’ll be staring in open-mouthed shock when a character gets bumped off with no warning. We’ll all be in it together."

Episode one is ‘sharper than ever’

Varys and Tyrion in Game of Thrones

"This wasn’t the most dramatic episode so far, but the acting and writing were sharper than ever. And with a toe dipped into almost every ongoing thread of storyline, the stage was set for even more power play, betrayal and brutal shufflings off this mortal coil."

Game of Thrones episodes leaked online

The first four episodes of the keenly anticipated fifth season of Game of Thrones have been leaked online a day before the series' official US premiere on Sunday 12th April.

Behind the scenes at Game of Thrones season 5

"The set itself is almost pitch black. Maisie Williams, who has done several takes already, is pulling faces and dancing on the spot to try and keep her energy up. On the cry of ‘action’ she walks past a hooded figure and whispers, ‘Valar morghulis.' ... Who was Arya talking to, I ask Williams between scenes. ‘Arya goes through a massive change this season,’ she starts to say, at which point the producer Bryan Cogman chimes in, ‘Maisie, don’t tell him anything! Say nothing!’ He is half joking, half deadly serious."

Game of Thrones piracy increases ahead of season five

New research from Irdeto, a company offering revenue assurance services to subscription-based TV companies, has shown that, ahead of the season five premiere on April 12, worldwide illegal downloads of the show have increased by 45 per cent from 2014.

Game of Thrones weapons master: 'we try not to kill people'

Game of Thrones weapons Master Tommy Dunne: “We have aluminium, a rubber, or a bamboo version of the same item. We’d have the handle or the crossguard as a separate item, with an aluminium blade in that, or a bamboo. But they will wear [the steel sword], if it ever needs to be close to camera ... It is mainly for safety, because we wouldn’t kill people. I like my job. I want to try and keep it.”

Game of Thrones: the deaths in numbers

It's difficult to say just how many characters have been killed on-screen since the show began, but according to some tallies, the current figure stands at 5,348. Fans have even lovingly compiled montage videos, detailing every single death in the first four seasons (the first clip below is set, delightfully, to the strains of Dick Van Dyke singing Put on a Happy Face).

Now, the website myvoucherCodes.co.uk has conducted a new analysis of the death count within the first four seasons of the show, and turned up some pretty surprising statistics.

George RR Martin developing a new HBO series called Captain Cosmos

George RR Martin, whose best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire novels inspired the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, is developing a new television series with the network.

Titled Captain Cosmos, the new show will be set in the Forties, and will follow a science fiction TV writer. According to Entertainment Weekly, the pitch for the show was: “At the dawn of the age of TV in 1949, a visionary young writer creates a science fiction series that tells stories no one else will dare to tell.”

Iwan Rheon: the man behind Ramsey Snow

As well as playing sadistic Ramsay Snow (now Bolton) on Game of Thrones, actor Iwan Rheon also writes love songs. In a new interview with our music critic Neil McCormick, Rheon speaks about the influences behind his new album, Dinard, and about how his performance as Ramsay snow was inspired by Liam Gallagher.

George RR Martin posts new chapter from next Game of Thrones book

George RR Martin has treated fans to a preview chapter from his long-awaited sixth book, The Winds of Winter. This new chapter is the first since 2005's A Feast of Crows to be written from the perspective of Sansa Stark.

Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams to guest star in Doctor Who

Maisie Williams, who is known to millions as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, has begun filming a guest role for the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Game of Thrones meets It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Charlie Day and Danny DeVito in US comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

David Benioff and DB Weiss, the writers behind HBO's Game of Thrones, have divulged the somewhat unlikely, but nonetheless inspired choice of actors they'd like to see cameo in the show.

During a TMZ video interview, the pair were asked which of their celebrity pals were angling for a role on Game of Thrones.

After pointing out that there have already been a fair few celebrity cameos – including musician Gary Lightbody – Benioff told the interviewer that: "Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day from It's Always Sunny" want to be on the show.

"We want to make that happen," added Weiss.

Behind the scenes at Game of Thrones season five

Our writer Benji Wilson got the chance to visit the set of Game of Thrones season five. You can read his full account of his visit here, or check out some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the set here.

Game of Thrones World Premiere

The Game of Thrones Season Five world premiere took place last night at the Tower of London, and some of our team were lucky enough to attend and watch the first episode from the new season. You can read our top talking points from the episode here, watch a video of some of the highlights from the night, or check out an in-depth review. (Warning: talking points and review contain spoilers.)

Game of Thrones season five: new preview and behind-the-scenes video

HBO has unveiled three new promotional videos, alongside a new 30-second preview for season five of Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones: 5 business lessons from the Seven Kingdoms

Game of Thrones on Business, a new book by journalist Tim Phillips and business editor Rebecca Clare, offers business and leadership advice inspired by the HBO show. To find out more about what Jon Snow and BIll Clinton have in common, and why making like Dothraki leader Khal Drogo and pouring molten gold over somebody's head is the best way to get your message across, read more about the book and learn about our five top GoT business tips.

Why budding business leaders should be more like Littlefinger, played by Aidan Gillen above, and less like Jon Snow

Why is the UK missing out?

Dedicated Game of Thrones fans across the world will now be able to watch each episode of season five of the popular HBO fantasy show at the same time as viewers in the US – unless, that is, they happen to be based in the UK

HBO has announced that it is planning to simultaneously broadcast (or "simulcast") Game of Thrones in 170 countries across the world, beginning with the season five premiere on April 12. However, UK viewers planning to catch the show on Sky Atlantic will be forced to wait until April 13, and each subsequent episode of season five will be broadcast a day later than in the US.

Game of Thrones: new trailer shown at Apple Watch launch

The latest trailer for HBO's Game of Thrones has been unveiled, during the launch of the new Apple Watch.

The trailer opens with a dramatic statement from Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen: “Lannister, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell, they’re all just spokes on a wheel. This one’s on top and that one’s on top and on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground. We’re not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel.”

Judging by the size of the Queen's dragons – shown in the trailer to be much bigger than in previous season – her words are no empty threat.

At the launch, HBO also announced its plans for a new streaming service, HBO Now, available exclusively on Apple TV.

Game of Thrones bloopers: watch the cast crack up

Cersei disco dancing; Joffrey smiling; Tyrion cooling himself with a tiny pink fan. In case you need reminding that the villains, schemers and cold-blooded killers of Game of Thrones are human after all, HBO have released a new season four blooper reel showing the above – plus the Red Viper, Worm, and Jamie the Kingslayer – fluffing their lines, cracking up and falling down stairs. Even the terrifying Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) isn't immune.

The highly entertaining – but all too short – reel is designed to whet our appetite for season five of George RR Martin's enormously successful fantasy series, which will hold its world premiere at the Tower of London on March 18, ahead of the first episode of season five hitting TV screens on April 12 (April 13 in the UK).

Game of Thrones becomes fastest-selling box set in a decade

Game of Thrones Season 4 has become the fastest-selling television box set in a decade.

The adaption of George R R Martin’s fantasy novel series sold more than 157,000 copies in the UK in the last week, entering the chart at number one.

According to the Official Charts Company, it is now the fastest-selling box set since Little Britain – the Complete First Season in 2004, which sold 224,000 in its first week.

Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, in Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones season five world premiere to be held in London

The cast of the popular fantasy series Game of Thrones will be heading to London next month for the world premiere of the show's fifth season, Sky Atlantic has announced.

The event, which will mark the first time a Game of Thrones world premiere has taken place in Europe, will be held at the Tower of London. The venue feels particularly appropriate, given that Game of Thrones author George RR Martin (whose books are the source material for the TV show) was inspired by several events from English history, particularly the Wars of the Roses, when writing his notoriously bloody novels.

The Game of Thrones season five world premiere will take place at the Tower of London

George RR Martin hints at unexpected character deaths

When it comes to killing off characters, author George RR Martin has a (well-deserved) reputation for brutality. But now, the famously ruthless writer has pointed out that even readers of his A Song of Ice and Fire book series will be surprised by the next season of HBO's Game of Thrones.

“People are going to die who don’t die in the books, so even the book readers will be unhappy,” said Martin, who was speaking at the Writers Guild West Awards on Saturday (via AVclub.com).

“Everybody better be on their toes. [Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] are even bloodier than I am.”

The fifth season Game of Thrones will premiere on April 12.

Game of Thrones Monopoly launches

The new GoT monopoly board

A Game of Thrones edition of Monopoly has been launched by HBO in the US, retailing at $60.

The announcement was made via the official Game of Thrones Twitter feed, with the caption "The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank."

In a statement, HBO said: “Vie to hold dominion over the realms of men in the Game of Thrones Collector’s Edition of Monopoly.

“Featuring infamous locations from the original dramatic television series, including Castle Black, Winterfell and King’s Landing, players will buy, sell and trade their way to sit atop the Iron Throne.”

Nathalie Emmanuel: 'race is relevant, but it's not fundamentally what it's about'

Nathalie Emmanuel, who stars as freed slave Missandei on Game of Thrones, has addressed accusations that the show is show is "too white", and that non-Caucasian races are cast only in minor, subservient or stereotypical roles on the programme.

"I think it's really difficult," Emmanuel told The Telegraph, when asked about the criticism the Daenerys plot has received. "We're dealing with a fantasy world here, but at the same time we're dealing with a fantasy world in an almost Medieval setting, set around a fantasy version of the British isles, where history tells us that a queen would have been white, generally. Slavery, which we know is part of all of history, would have been a thing. That's kind of what you would expect in this kind of story."

Nathalie Emmanuel in HBO's Game of Thrones

Kit Harington: internet abuse of George RR Martin is 'vicious, ugly and manipulative'

Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington, who stars as Night's Watchman Jon Snow on the popular HBO show, has spoken out against the internet abuse of author George RR Martin.

When asked about whether or not he feels "under pressure" from the avid (and occasionally slightly obsessive) Game of Thrones fanbase, Harington said: "The only thing I get p--sed off about is that, as far as George RR Martin goes, there's a lot of fan pressure on him – a lot of nasty, manipulative, quite vicious fan pressure that's aimed towards him, about his health, and about when he is producing the next book. I get quite angry about that."

How was Game of Thrones supposed to end?

Some of George RR Martin's abandoned plans for his best-selling Game of Thrones novels have been revealed, via a 1993 letter from the author to his publisher, posted on Waterstones' official Twitter account. To read details of the abandoned plans, which feature characters including Arya, Jon, Tyrion and Sansa, read the story in full (contains spoilers).

HBO launches Game of Throne pop up restaraunt

To celebrating the release of the fourth series of Game of Thrones on DVD and Blu-ray, HBO have teamed up with pop-up restaraunt organisers The Wandering Chef to launch an epic three-day banquet, giving fans the chance to enjoy a lavish meal in true King's Landing style.

Taking place between February 13 and 15 at the Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel in London, the dinner will be themed around a "private, clandestine meeting of the Small Council in King's Landing".

Maisie Williams rebels against bullies in new music video

As her legions of online fans know, Ayra Stark actress Maisie Williams is brilliantly grounded. So it's nice to see her defeating bullies in this music video for Seafret, a duo hailing from North Yorkshire.

No new George RR Martin book for 2015

Author George RR Martin

Fans anxiously waiting for the release of George RR Martin's sixth Game of Thrones novel, The Winds of Winter, are unlikely to see the book published this year, according to Martin's UK publisher Jane Johnson.

The most recent book in the series, A Dance With Dragons, was published in 2011.

“I have no information on likely delivery,” Johnson, who works for HarperCollins, told The Guardian. “These are increasingly complex books and require immense amounts of concentration to write. Fans really ought to appreciate that the length of these monsters is equivalent to two or three novels by other writers.

Game of Thrones season five trailer arrives

The first trailer for season five of HBO’s Game of Thrones has been released.

Danny Dyer: 'I've been rejected three times for Game of Thrones'

The British actor and Eastenders star Danny Dyer has admitted that he auditioned three times for Game of Thrones – and failed to win a part on the show each time.

Dyer, who is known for his distinctive cockney accent, was speaking on this weekend's Jonathan Ross Show, alongside Game of Thrones actress Diana Rigg, who stars as Oleanna Tyrell (otherwise known as the Queen of Thorns) on the popular HBO fantasy show.

Dyer told Ross: "I've been up for it three times, I got three knock-backs".

Sansa Stark to play X-Men's Jean Grey

Sophie Turner, who has played Sansa Stark since Game of Thrones started in 2011, will play Jean Grey, a founding member of the X-Men, in forthcoming movie X-Men: Apocalypse.

Has George RR Martin debunked a popular fan theory?

Book spoilers below

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has confirmed that the mysterious character Coldhands, who first appears in the author's book A Storm of Swords, is not Eddard Stark's missing brother Benjen. According to a report from Vulture, when asked by an editor if Coldhands was Benjen, Martin responded with an emphatic "No!"

In Martin's books, Benjen Stark joined the Night's Watch, but disappeared after he was sent to recover a missing ranger, Ser Waymar Royce. To date, Benjen's fate has not been confirmed.

Coldhands resembles the re-animated corpses known as wights, but keeps his face concealed. Unlike the wights, he has dark eyes, rather than pale blue, and appears to be relatively benign, going out of his way to aid characters including Sam and Gilly, and Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen.

Many fans began to suspect that Coldhands might not be Benjen Stark when the character was apparently cut from season four of HBO's Game of Thrones. In Martin's novels, Coldhands is also said to have died "a long time ago", suggesting that his story may significantly predate Benjen's disappearance.

Next Game of Thrones book unlikely to be published in 2015

The next book in George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, the inspiration behind HBO's Game of Thrones, is unlikely to be published this year.

Martin's UK publisher Jane Johnson confirmed on her Twitter account that the novel isn’t on her schedule for 2015, suggesting that fans may have to wait until at least next year for the book's release.

@bonefish914 It's not in our 2015 publishing schedule as it stands - I know no more than that at the moment. — Jane Johnson (@JaneJohnsonBakr) January 6, 2015

In a blog post last month, Martin also made it clear that, as soon as the book is finished, he will let fans know via his personal blog, rather than through cryptic social media hints. He also put paid to the theory that the book has already been secretly finished.

"Look, I've said before, and I will say again, I don't play games with news about the books," he wrote. "I know how many people are waiting, how long they have been waiting, how anxious they are. I am still working on WINDS. When it's done, I will announce it here. There won't be any clues to decipher, any codes or hidden meanings, the announcement will be straightforward and to the point."

He added: "I won't time it to coincide with Xmas or Valentine's Day or Lincoln's Birthday, the book will not rise from the dead with Jesus on Easter Sunday. When it is done, I will say that's it is done, on whatever day I happen to finish."

Three Eyed Raven: watch the latest teaser

HBO have released a new teaser for season five of Game of Thrones, via their Three Eyed Raven online campaign. Many fans believe that the final image shown in the trailer is the door to the House of Black and White, a place visited by Arya Stark in George RR Martin's books. If the show is following Martin’s storyline, Arya will soon join the assassins known as the Faceless Men in the city of Braavos.

The trailer also features Arya's former sword teacher Syrio Forel, who can be heard saying: “There is only one thing we say to death: 'not today.'”

The character is presumed to have died in series one, and his inclusion in the clip doesn't neccesarily signify his return to the show. Instead, the Three Eyed Raven trailers are designed to give viewers a glimpse into the past, present and future of the Game of Thrones world.

Maisie Williams has a "secret" Tumblr

17-year-old Maisie Williams, who stars as Arya Stark on Game of Thrones, has revealed that she has a "secret" Tumblr account.

"I have a Tumblr where I have a false name and no-one knows it’s me. It’s a way to get things off your chest without fingers pointed at you," Williams told The Debrief.

Williams, who is starring in new Channel 4 drama Cyberbully, also detailed some of her own experiences with online bullying. She described the abuse she received on the website Formspring, which allows anonymous messaging as: "Paragraphs of speech saying you’re weird because you’re not at school, you’re a stuck up b**** because you talk about it too much, no one likes you, we all just pretend to like you because you’re rich and famous, horrible messages."

"Mum’s like, just delete it. It’s easy for an adult to say," she added. "But when you’re in this world and your body is changing and your hormones are everywhere and you just want to fit in."

Season five US air date confirmed

HBO has confirmed that Game of Thrones will return to US screens on April 12.

This is good news for UK viewers too: in past years, Sky Atlantic has screened the programme the following day.

Game of Thrones exhibition comes to London - but only for Sky subscribers

Sky announced that its customers will have "exclusive access to the epic world of Westeros and beyond" as the latest version of the Game of Thrones exhibition is starting its international tour at The O2 Arena in February.

However, non-members will not be able to book tickets to the event, which has more than 70 original artefacts from the hit HBO show, including some from the forthcoming fifth season.

Attendees will be able to have their photos taken in mock-ups of key Game of Thrones scenes, sit on the Iron Throne, Ascend the Wall using Oculus Rift-powered virtual technology and to pledge their allegiance to their favourite fictional Thrones family before entering the exhibition.

Nell Williams revealed as Young Cersei actress

English actress Nell Williams has been revealed as the younger version of tempestuous matriarch Cersei for Game of Thrones season five.

Game of Clones: the two Cerseis, Nell Williams (left) and Lena Headey (right) Credit : Troika Talent/HBO

(Troika Talent/HBO)

Kit Harington: Game of Thrones can’t get more naked, but season 5 is definitely bigger

The Jon Snow actor said Thrones creators have ‘thrown money’ at the fifth season, after it was announced a new trailer will premier on Imax screens.

When asked if Thrones’ creators might have reached a peak in the providing dramatic suspense, Harington told The Telegraph: “I was worried about that very thing.”

Harington said he is convinced that season five will match up: “The thing I noticed this year is that they threw so much money at it.”

A one-off special will air in February

A one-off Game of Thrones special called A Day In The Life will be broadcast this February.

The special, which appears in HBO's schedule of programmes for 2015, will air in the US on Sunday, February 8, and is thought to be a "behind-the-scenes" mini feature. Game of Thrones fan website WinterIsComing.net has speculated that the programme will act as a preview to season five, examining new characters and families, and previewing forthcoming plotlines.

There is currently no news as to whether the "featurette" will be broadcast in the UK, but previous specials have been made available on HBO's website and YouTube channel.

Game of Thrones is 2014's most-pirated TV show

Game of Thrones has been named as the world's most-pirated TV show for the third year running. The series was downloaded around 8.1 million times this year, according to data from the torrenting tracker TorrentFreak. Back in June, it set a record for simultaneous downloads as a quarter of a million people shared the final episode of the fourth season.

The second most-pirated TV show was The Walking Dead, which was downloaded around 4.8million times.

Three Eyed Raven: latest teasers

The latest Three Eyed Raven teaser for season five of HBO's Game of Thrones has been released. While the footage is designed to only be watched a single time, fans have managed to record the video and post it on YouTube.

The teaser reveals a mysterious door (believed to be the door from The House of Black and White, a place described in George RR Martin's books that we'll likely be seeing more of next season), shots of Arya, and an image of a character who appears to be Oberyn Martell.

While Oberyn is dead – very definitely dead, given what The Mountain did to his head last season – the footage is designed to represent "Greensight" visions, allowing viewers to see the past, present and future all at once.

Intriguingly, more than one version of the teaser seems to have been released. The alternate version below contains shots of spears hitting the grounds (possibly Daenerys's army of Unsullied), and ends on an image of a flaming weirwood tree.

Three Eyed Raven: latest footage

The latest season five footage from the Game of Thrones Three Eyed Raven social media campaign has been released. The snippets of video (fans who sign up on threeyedraven.com can get them sent to their phones or Twitter accounts) are intended to resemble the visions of the prophetic Westerosi raven, which explains their somewhat enigmatic quality: the ravens are able to see the past, presnet and future all at once. While the footage is designed to only be watched a single time, one enterprising fan has found a way around the system, and posted the below video on YouTube.

The new footage includes a shot of Arya in a rowing boat, alongside the Braavosi captain seen at the end of season four, and an image of Cersei, apparently imprisoned.

Oberyn's death among most discussed TV moments of 2014

Oberyn Martell's death in season four of Games of Thrones was the second most shared TV moment by tweeting viewers, according to analysis of more than a billion social media conversations by Telegraph Hill.

"Tweetalongs" have become increasingly popular in recent years, as viewers tweet their thoughts and connect them by using a programme's hashtag, such as #gbbo for Great British Bake-Off.

Trauma ahead for Sansa?

Sophie Turner in season four of HBO's Game of Thrones

Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, has revealed that she has filmed a "super, super traumatic scene" for the show's upcoming season. Turner, who being interviewed by the website HeyUGuys, did not reveal further details about the nature of the scene. However, fans have speculated that the character may be involved in some way with the death of her cousin Robin, the current Lord of the Eyrie.

Sansa's storyline on the show has almost overtaken George RR Martin's novels, and so it's possible that storylines involving her character next season may be new to readers of Martin's books.

Season five teaser

The official Game of Thrones Twitter account has posted a cryptic teaser for season five. The short clip features shots of Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, last seen sailing off to new adventures, and features a voiceover from Melisandre (Carice van Houten): “I see a darkness in you.” The clip ends with a shot of a black and white door, believed by fans of George RR Martin's books to be the door to the House of Black and White.

The teaser also urges viewers to "Follow the Three Eyed Raven. Gain the power of #TheSight" and directs them to a website, ThreeEyedRaven.com, suggesting that further clips and information will be released to fans who sign up for updates.

Could we be seeing a Game of Thrones movie?

Charles Dance, who played Tywin Lannister in the hit HBO series, said there have been discussions of making a Game of Thrones movie. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Dance said: "There’s talk of eventually trying to do a feature film, but I don’t know which of the storylines. There’s so much to cram into a film."

Turkey's military bans Game of Thrones

The Turkish Armed Forces has banned HBO's Game of Thrones from its military academies. The move comes after an update to the military's secondary education regulations, which now stipulate that students must be protected from materials that depict "sexual exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, abuse, harassment and all negative behaviors".

According to a report in the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, this isn't the first time that Game of Thrones has caused trouble within the Turkish army. In 2012, officers were kicked out of a military academy in Istanbul for allowing cadets to watch the show.

The ban comes as classes on Islam are introduced for the first time in Turkish military schools, and has been interpreted as a sign that Turkey's army is moving away from its traditionally secular status.

Natalie Dormer speaks about playing Margaery Tyrell

Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell – now Queen Margaery – on Game of Thrones has spoken out about the scene in which she tries to win the affections of new boy-king Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), revealing that she was originally unhappy with the way the exchange was written.

Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, Dormer said: "It was very awkward for me, I had a whole conversation about how that scene was written – I kind of altered how that scene was written."

She added: "It wasn't as ambiguous, and I was like 'we need to talk about this'... for a woman just to throw her sensuality, her sexuality at a young male is just so on the nose and so obvious and the last thing Margaery Tyrell is is obvious, she's far more skilled than that."

Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones

86,000 people apply to be Game of Thrones extras

86,000 people responded to a casting call for 600 Game of Thrones extras in Osuna, Spain, where the series is currently being filmed, according to Entertainment Weeky.

Local production company Fresco Film had to increase its server space in order to accommodate the huge number of applications. One applicant even took time off from his full-time banking job in order to appear in the show.

The £40 Game of Thrones extras

The new series is being filmed in the historic town of Osuna and the arrival of the blockbusting TV show has had a positive impact for an area where the unemployment rate is 34.7 per cent, the highest of Spain's 17 autonomous regions.

Fresco Film services in Malaga has hired 550 Spaniards to work as Game of Thrones extras during the filming of the fifth season. They will be paid £40 a day to don medieval costumes and act in a crowd scene when the town's bull ring will be used for a battle.

Game of Thrones extras in Osuna, Spain (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Kit Harington: I didn't go to drama school to be in Game of Thrones all my life

27-year-old Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has revealed that he can't face the idea of appearing on the show indefinitely.

“I’m currently working on series five, but I didn’t go to drama school to act in a fantasy show all my life,” said the actor, who was speaking at the London BFI film festival.

New Game of Thrones set pictures

The website winteriscoming.net has unveiled a series of new pictures from the Game of Thrones set in Dubrovnik, Croatia. For fans, perhaps the most interesting picture is the one below, in which Lena Headey's Cersei can just be seen being led down a flight of steps. The character, who is dressed in black (presumably in mourning for her late father, Lord Tywin), can be distinguished by her distinctive blonde hairstyle.

(Picture: winteriscoming.net)

Other pictures depict some of the cast extras in costume, while the photo below shows Lena Headey between takes, with a very un-Westerosi-looking iphone in her lap.

(Picture: winteriscoming.net)

Computer 'predicts' who will die in Game of Thrones

A computer program designed to predict who will die in George RR Martin's next two Game of Thrones novels has been developed.

The statistical model, developed by Game of Thrones fan and statistics lecturer Richard Vale from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, uses the frequency of character POV chapters in the existing novels to calculate how long each character is likely to survive.

According to a Telegraph article, Vale has warned that the predictions should not be taken as gospel and are simply a bit of "fun data analysis". To find out which characters the program has selected as most likely to be killed off in Martin's next two books, read the full story.

Charles Dance: Tywin might make a comeback

Charles Dance on season 4 of HBO's Game of Thrones

Charles Dance, who plays Lannister patriarch Tywin Lannister, has hinted that he may still be starring in season five of Game of Thrones, despite his somewhat undignified on-the-privy death in season four's finale.

During an interview with MTV for his new film Dracula Untold on Friday, the actor said: “Well, I’m not completely missing out on the next series.”

Dance then teased fans further by adding, “More than that, I’m not going to say… so, you haven’t seen the last of Tywin Lannister.”

While returning from the dead isn't an unprecedented occurence within the world of Game of Thrones, most fans believe that the character will most likely be returning via a number of flashback scenes, rather than through a more dramatic means.

Bran and Hodor won't appear in season five

Two popular Game of Thrones characters, Bran and Hodor, will not be appearing in season five of the HBO show.

Bran Stark is played by Isaac Hempstead Wright, while Hodor, who is famously only able to utter his own name, is played by Kristian Nairn.

Nairn confirmed the news in a recent interview with the Australian Broadcasting Commission. "We [Hodor and Bran] have a season off and we have a year's hiatus, solely because I imagine our storyline is up to the end of the books," he said.

Season four of Game of Thrones was based on the second half of George RR Martin’s third novel, A Storm of Swords. But the series expanded on Bran and Hodor’s storyline, incorporating events taken from Martin’s most recent book, A Dance With Dragons.

The show hasn’t completely overtaken the books: there are a few key scenes for Bran and Hodor yet to come. But, if it had continued to develop the pair’s storyline at the rate of previous seasons, it would have outrun the books altogether.

Church bans topless Cersei

Game of Thrones producers have been forced to seek a new location to shoot a planned nude walk by Lena Headey's Queen Cersei, after they were banned from filming the pivotal scenes in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik.

The crew's request to film the scenes was rejected due to pressure from Dubrovnik's Catholic Church of St Nicholas, which takes a hardline stance against public nudity, acts of sexuality and "immorality." According to the website TMZ, the programme-makers have agreed to find an alternative location for the scenes.

George RR Martin: critics should be more worried about violence than sex

Author George RR Martin: prefers penises entering vaginas to axes entering heads

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Game of Thrones author Martin praised British attitudes towards television censorship, arguing they were much "saner" than those in the United States.

Speaking of the response to his books, he said: "I'm always astonished that there's always so much more controversy about the sex than about the violence.

"I think that says something about us that isn't necessarily a good thing to say.

"I can write a scene and describe in detail a penis entering a vagina, and there will be a portion of the audience who get very upset about that. But I can write a scene about an axe entering a human skull and nobody will complain about that.

"Generally speaking I'm much more in favour of penises entering vaginas than of axes entering heads.

"People seem to accept the violence much easier than they accept the sex."

Game of Thrones star JJ Murphy dies

An Irish actor who was “absolutely delighted” to be cast in Game of Thones died on Friday, just four days into filming the new season.

JJ Murphy was cast as Ser Denys Mallister, the oldest member of the Night’s Watch, the band of brothers who guard the Wall in the north of Westeros.

Murphy had filmed some scenes during the first four days of filming on the new season, which is based on George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, when he collapsed and died.

Season Five cast announced at Comic Con

The new members of the season five cast were announced via video during a Game of Thrones panel discussion at Comic-Con.

Jonathan Pryce, the Welsh actor known for playing Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies, is set to play the "High Sparrow", leader of the rebellious religious group of septons who become known as the Sparrows.

Alexander Siddig, known for his credits in 24 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, will play Doran Martell, bereaved, gout-ridden older brother of Pedro Pascal's less fortunate Oberyn, and ruler of Dorne. His youngest son, Trystane, will be played by rising star Toby Sebastian.

Keisha Castle-Hughes will be brought in as Oberyn's daughter, the feisty, spiky Obara Sand. There will likely be blood on her hands soon, as she is on a mission to avenge her father's murder and angry to boot. (It's hard to believe the now 24-year-old New Zealand actress is the same cute 12-year-old who was Oscar nominated for her performance in 2002's Whale Rider.)

Jessica Henwick will be joining Castle-Hughes as Obara's sister, Nymeria - Nym for short. She's similarly vengeful and violent. Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, who will play Tyene Sand. She share's her father's passion for poison.

British actor DeObia Oparei will be appearing alongside his Dredd co-star, Lena Headey, in the fifth season, as Doran Martell's protector, Areo Hotah.

But despite this picture from Comic-Con, Khaleesi fans needn't worry: George RR Martin will definitely not be donning a blonde wig and replacing Emilia Clarke as Daenerys.

(Picture: Reddit)

Season Five crew announced at Comic Con

Season five's crew is notable by who is absent. George RR Martin announced at Comic-Con that he wasn't writing any of the episodes in season five on account of having to work on the next book. "It takes me almost a month to finish an episode," the author told entertainment news website zap2it.com "and the reality is I better skip this season and concentrate on finishing the book." Fans desperate for the next installment in Martin's series will likely agree.

Familiar Thrones directors Neil Marshall, the British director of season four's The Watchers on the Wall; Alex Graves, who led the controversial Breaker of Chains episode; Alik Sakharov, who has directed episodes across the past three seasons, and Michelle MacLaren, the show's only female director, will not be returning for Season five.

Director David Nutter, the man who left legions of viewers shell-shocked after his depiction of the Red Wedding in Season Three, will return to the show after a break over season four. Fingers crossed he hasn't been called in to direct a similarly devastating episode this time round.

Spain locations revealed

Many of the sets already familiar to Game of Thrones viewers, including those in Northern Ireland and Iceland, will still be used for season five. But an important addition to the new season locations is Spain, which will fill in for hot, dusty Dorne, land of the Martell family.

Alcazar of Seville, a Moorish castle dating back to the ninth century, will reportedly double up as the Martell's home, the Water Gardens of Dorne. The castle is the oldest Royal residence in Europe still in use, and is more of a series of linked buildings, all built at separate times, than a single structure.

According to winteriscoming.net, the show has received permission to dye the water in the Alcazar's gardens dark blue for the duration of the shoot. But luckily for the centuries old statues and fountains, they'll be using an eco-friendly dye that evaporates after a few days.

After filming in Seville is finished, the cast and crew will relocate to the southern Spanish town of Osuna, close to where Julius Caesar won his last-ever battle in person. Coincidentally, the Game of Thrones team will be filming a battle scene there.

Lady Stoneheart rumours refuse to die (BOOK SPOILERS)

Fans of George RR Martin's books left speculating about the whereabouts of a certain Lady Stoneheart will be glad to hear that rumours that the character might feature in season five are – perhaps appropriately – refusing to die,.

Michelle Fairley, who plays Catelyn Stark on Game of Thrones, has stated that her character "is dead". But, as fans have pointed out, Fairley's words could contain a double meaning: Lady Stoneheart is, after all, a "dead" incarnation of Catelyn Stark.

When asked if there's any chance of Lady Stoneheart appearing in season five, Alex Graves, director of Season Four's final episode, The Children, told the US website Entertainment Weekly: "I have no idea. They won’t tell me. They’re very good at being secretive.”

A cryptic Instagram photograph posted by Lena Headey back in April, in which the actress depicted a heart formed of pebbles labelled “my stone heart”, has also led some fans to believe that the character may yet make a comeback. Headey has a habit of posting mysterious clues to upcoming events in the series: a picture of her playfully pressing her thumb's over actor Pedro Pascal's eyes foreshadowed Oberyn's's brutal death on the show several weeks later.

George RR Martin reveals just how big the dragons could get

The last we saw of Daenerys’s dragons, one had gone AWOL, whilst the other two were locked and chained away. Which was really sad. (Although, to be fair, Drogon did basically flame-grill a toddler.)

The dragons are now no longer the cute hatchlings that made everybody exclaim ‘aww’ at the end of season one, but big, dangerous beasts, and many fans are hoping they’ll have a much more significant part to play in the show's next season. But just how big are the dragons eventually going to get?

George RR Martin recently updated his website with an image of one of Daenerys' Targaryen ancestors, Aegon I, sitting astride a fully grown dragon. Martin has confirmed the illustration accurately represents his idea of what an adult dragon should look like, so it looks as if the trio on the show have quite a way to go yet. It'll be interesting to see just how big they get next season – although the show's CGI budget might eventually end up putting a limit on their growth rate.