The Foxtel Group has issued a statement after its Australian boss sparked a storm with his description of Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke as “short, dumpy girl”.

Foxtel Australia boss Patrick Delany’s tone deaf comments came in a speech at the premiere of prequel series House of the Dragon in Sydney on Tuesday night – and reportedly brought audible gasps from the audience.

Mr Delaney used the occasion to tell the story of the first time he saw the 59-time Emmy Award-winning HBO series, in which Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen, also known as ‘Mother of Dragons’.

“I was like, ‘What’s this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?’” he remarked, in reference to Clarke’s character.

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According to a report from Crikey, the joke drew audible gasps from the audience. Two attendees said the crowd was “obviously shocked”.

“It felt like he was expecting us to laugh along but people in the room were obviously shocked by it,” said one onlooker.

“There was a bit of a gasp,” said another.

Mr Delany’s comment have since garnered international attention, with the story picked up by US mastheads Variety and Vanity Fair.

A Foxtel Group spokesperson has since apologised for the remarks, telling Crikey that Mr Delany’s comment was intended to be “self-deprecating”.

“The aim was to convey that for him, Games of Thrones was something very different for television in 2011 and that Emilia Clarke went from relatively unknown to one of the most recognised and most-loved actors in television and film,” they said.

“On behalf of Mr Delany, the Foxtel Group apologises if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offence.”

The comment prompted international outrage, with fans of Clarke and the Game of Thrones franchise sharing their disgust online.

“I can’t say that at any point in time, did I consider Emilia Clarke could be described as short and dumpy. She is pretty much as far from that description as is possible,” one fan wrote.

“Not that I need another reason to not get Foxtel, but the Foxtel CEO calling Emilia Clarke a ‘short, dumpy girl’ is both extremely s–tty and hilariously false,” said another.

Clarke is yet to address Mr Delany’s remark.

She will not appear in the upcoming House of the Dragon prequel series, which is set hundreds of year before the original series.

However, Clarke will make her long-awaited return to television in Marvel series Secret Invasion, scheduled to premiere in early 2023.

House of the Dragon premieres on Binge on August 22.