Game Of Thrones star Conleth Hill has dismissed the backlash against the series’ ending as a “media-led hate campaign”.
The eighth and final season of the drama aired in May and while it has resulted in a record-breaking number of Emmys nominations, the episodes divided fans and critics.
Addressing the reaction at a Comic-Con panel event, Conleth (who plays Varys) referenced the infamous petition calling for the series to be rewritten and reshot.
Asked about his thoughts on the ending, he joked: “I don’t regret starting the petition.”
Getting serious, he continued: “We’re very grateful for your fandom over the years and I think this is the reality rather than a media-led hate campaign.”
Conleth was on the panel alongside a selection of his co-stars, including Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), and Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark).
Despite the misgivings over season eight, there was a buoyant mood among the actors, who were given a standing ovation as they walked on stage.
The panel opened with the cast raising cups of Starbucks coffee to the crowd, a reference to the infamous production gaff in the final season which saw a rogue cup appearing in an episode.
Maisie, who played Arya Stark, was asked about the fate of her character, who ended the show by heading off to explore “west of Westeros”.
“I’m sure she’s having a wonderful time, like Dora The Explorer”, she said.
Maisie was also quizzed about the relationship between Arya and Gendry Baratheon, but admitted she does not see a future for the couple.
She said: “She’s a lone wolf. I don’t think being with a partner is what would make her feel most at home, or the most fulfilled”.
Game Of Thrones creators David Benioff and DB Weiss had also been due to take part in the panel but HBO announced on Thursday they had dropped out with no explanation given.
Many were expecting the cast to face tough questions about the ending during the panel’s planned fan Q&A session, but it was scrapped due to time constraints.