Game of Thrones season 5: Kit Harington defends naked scenes and shares hope drama will not 'finish on a whimper'

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

In my reporting on women's reproductive rights, I've witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.

Your support allows us to keep these vital issues in the spotlight. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to fight for truth and justice.

Every contribution ensures that we can continue to report on the stories that impact lives

Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

Find out more

Kit Harington, also known as Jon Snow to most of us, has shared his view on how Game of Thrones should end and defended all the nudity in the show.

The 28-year-old actor believes the hit HBO fantasy drama will run for seven seasons and that the upcoming fifth will be “important”.

“Some of my favourite TV shows in history, the best season was five – and they’ve maintained [the quality] till the end,” he told reporters at a press conference.

“It’s about keeping the viewership happy and keeping the quality up and not doing what other TV shows have done in the past, which is finish on a whimper.”

Harington also touched upon the series’ sometimes controversial naked scenes, agreeing with co-star Sophie Turner’s view that they are “very necessary” to reflect the attitudes of “medieval times”.

“I do think there should be an equal amount [of male and female nudity] but I think it’s wrong to say there isn’t any male nudity in Thrones.

“Unfortunately, you can't show a man sexualised on TV because of all the problems that that entails. There’s more than in any other show – it’s just the ratio [that’s the problem].”

Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, added that “women didn’t really have a huge say in the [Thrones] world”.

“They couldn’t manipulate that well through their power because they didn’t have a huge amount,” she said.

“I think one of the main ways that women can use what they have is through sex. They can really manipulate people through men’s desires, and the same vice-versa, so I think it is quite necessary that they show that aspect.”

Harington has hinted before that Jon Snow will have a major storyline in season five, revealing that he was “on set every day with more dates than anyone”.

George RR Martin, upon whose A Song of Ice and Fire novel series Thrones is based, dropped a bombshell on fans last weekend when he warned them to “be on their toes” for unexpected deaths.

“People are going to die who don’t die in the books, so even the book readers will be unhappy,” he said at the Writers Guild West Awards on Saturday.

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

Game of Thrones returns to HBO on Sunday 12 April before airing in the UK the following night on Sky Atlantic.