From where we’re standing, there isn’t anything remotely funny about joking about a woman’s body, not in this situation or any other. If Delany was really attempting to be “self-deprecating”, why on earth make disparaging comments about Clarke’s appearance rather than making himself the butt of the joke for his ignorance about the fantasy series?

Clearly, Delany’s comments had nothing to do with a genuine attempt at humour, and bringing up Emilia Clarke at the premiere of a brand new series in which she has no involvement is frankly bizarre. It reads as a cheap, sexist shot from a man who, sadly, has probably used this lame excuse for a joke many times before and wanted to get more mileage out of it. To be so pitifully unaware that his joke was simply gross body-shaming is unfortunate for Delany, but his comments really do highlight how the objectification of women in the public eye is as pervasive as it ever was.

In any case, we’re sure Clarke won’t lose any sleep over it.

A TV executive tried to justify describing Emilia Clarke as a “short, dumpy girl”, but there’s no excuse for sexism