Ed Sheeran reckons his character on Game of Thrones probably wouldn't have survived "for that long" on the show.

The singer-songwriter had a small yet controversial role in the season 7 episode "Dragonstone" in July.

Showrunners David Benioff and D.B Weiss cast Sheeran as an unnamed Lannister soldier as a surprise for Arya Stark actress Maisie Williams.

Many fans felt that Sheeran's cameo was too prominent in the episode, where many other artist appearances have been so subtle that they were almost-impossible to spot.

Speaking to MTV News, Sheeran said he doubted his character was going to survive when there were dragons around.

Addressing the criticism around his cameo, he also revealed that he didn't expect to make another appearance in season 8.