It doesn’t get much more hotly anticipated than the first Game Of Thrones spin-off, but House Of The Dragon gave us a brand new story in a familiar world and was largely seen to have lived up to expectations.

The first series, which launched in 2022, was critically acclaimed and won awards – and also gave HBO its largest single-day viewership for a series debut in the service’s history.

But if there was criticism, it was that it was a little slow, too much set-up and not enough action, with decades being covered throughout the season as characters grew up and sides were taken.

Has the pace ramped up for series two?

The second season kicks off where the first left off, with battle lines drawn, blood spilt and two former best friends fighting for the crown – and Sky News has spoken to the cast about what to expect.

Be warned – spoilers for series one ahead.

Team Green v Team Black

“I feel like I was like trying to throw my body over the crack between the Targaryen family,” says Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower – a powerful member of the Greens and whose son Aegon was hastily crowned after she claims his father named him as his heir while on his deathbed.

This effectively usurped Rhaenyra (played by Emma D’Arcy) from the Blacks, who claimed she was the rightful Queen as the King’s first-born – and if that wasn’t enough to put them at odds, the series ended with Alicent’s other son killing Rhaenyra’s.

“The chasm is well and truly opened,” says Cooke. “And it’s about management of that and trying to make sure that we don’t descend into bloody, horrible, civil war.

“And the men around us are just so hellbent on having their names in the annals of history, and trying to mitigate that is a nightmare.”

Returning to and expanding Westeros

With the second series commissioned after the first proved to be a hit, D’Arcy says there was a different feel on set when they returned.

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“The first time around, we were trepidatious for so many reasons, not least because Westeros is a much beloved site and you need a very good reason to return there. We thought we had one, but even so, a prequel is a big ask of a fandom – you’re asking those people to sort of take a bit of a gamble with you and we knew that there was different ways that that might go.

“I think what was lovely, certainly I felt, it’s very helpful to watch the show and to have a much clearer sense of the job description, the job at hand, the context, the sorts of identity, the aesthetic of the show. But also, I felt certainly that I sort of finally got my Westerosi passport, that I was, you know, no longer a foreigner.”

Fans of the world of Westeros will see more of it this season, says Matt Smith who plays Rhaenyra’s husband – and uncle – Daemon Targaryen.

“The show is evolving and getting bigger and exploring different parts of Westeros, which I think is quite exciting as well. “Hopefully it ticks the boxes it’s meant to.”

Dragon-riding

While both sides of the Targaryen family have access to the ultimate weapon – dragons – wiser members are not in a hurry to use them, knowing the massive amounts of death and destruction that could be unleashed.

But it wouldn’t be much of a series of House Of The Dragon without us seeing plenty of the creatures, and we know that five new ones are being introduced.

For Ewan Mitchell, who plays Prince Aemond Targaryen – the rider of the largest dragon – it’s an opportunity like no other.

“A hundred per cent it’s probably the closest we’ll ever get to dragon riding in real life,” he says. “You are ultimately suspended, 15, 20 foot up in the air, you have a wind machine, you have a rain machine, we use something called the volume, which utilises this game engine which projects the environment around you.

“So it really gives you something to react off, you’re not just playing make-believe, and for an actor, that’s just super liberating – it’s escapism taken to another level.”

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One of the show’s most out-and-out villainous characters returning with Team Green is the duplicitous Lord Larys Strong, played by Matthew Needham.

He admits drawing inspiration for the role from a surprising source – the reality show Couples Therapy.

“You know, the doctor – Dr Orna Guralnik, I think is her name,” he says.

“Her quality of listening… I know, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to insult her, but her quality of listening – she’s very focused and attentive, so it takes everything in – was something I thought a lot about. But, I feel like I’m really disparaging her.”

Facts and figures

The first series was made during the pandemic, so an already challenging production was made even more so.

This time around there were fewer restrictions in terms of tests and masks, but the filming was no still no mean feat – with the show made across England, Wales and Spain at its peak, some 1,250 crew were working at one time, and 2,430 were involved in total during the almost six-month-long shoot.

Four hundred costumes were made for key characters, while another 5,000 were created for the supporting cast.

And we know there will be at least one epic battle scene – as it needed 250 extras for weeks at a time.

House Of The Dragon returns to Sky Atlantic on 17 June

Gordon Ramsay has said he is “lucky to be alive” after a “really bad accident” riding his bike in the US.

The TV chef, 57, warned his 7.6 million followers on X and 17 million on Instagram to “wear a helmet” after the incident in Connecticut this week.

He thanked the “incredible trauma surgeons, doctors, and nurses” at the state’s private Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, but said he is “most thankful for my helmet that saved my life”.

In a graphic video, he revealed a huge bruise covering much of his torso and said: “I’m lucky to be standing here.

“I am in pain, it’s been a brutal week, but I am sort of getting through it.”

On Instagram, he referred to himself as “looking like a purple potato” but said he “did not break any bones or suffer any major injuries”.

“You’ve got to wear a helmet,” he added. “I don’t care how short the journey is. I don’t care that these helmets cost money, they’re crucial.”

He signed off by wishing people a happy Father’s Day.

“I want to wish you all a happy Father’s Day, but please, please, please wear a helmet. If I didn’t, honestly, I wouldn’t be here now.”

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Ramsay became a father for the sixth time in November when his wife Tana gave birth to their son Jesse James Ramsay aged 49.

The couple, who have been married for almost 30 years, are also parents to Megan, Matilda, twins Jack and Holly, and Oscar.

Ramsay is a keen cyclist and has completed several endurance challenges, including triathlons and Iron Mans.

He came under fire during the coronavirus lockdown for travelling to his second home in Cornwall, where he would often film himself cycling long distances.

Indian authorities are set to prosecute author Arundhati Roy over comments she made about Kashmir in 2010.

Roy is reported to have said the disputed region of Kashmir is not an “integral” part of India at a panel discussion 14 years ago.

Lieutenant governor for Delhi VK Saxena, who belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party, gave the green light to pursue legal action, the Press Trust of India has reported.

Roy, whose novel The God Of Small Things won the Booker prize in 1997, has been one of Mr Modi’s most vocal critics.

As part of her political activism, she has been outspoken against laws the BJP has brought in against minority groups and press freedoms.

Mr Saxena has said she will be prosecuted for the comments alongside a former university professor from Kashmir, Sheikh Showkat Hussain.

According to law enforcement, the pair can now be charged under anti-terror laws for advocating for the ‘secession’ of Kashmir.

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Roy’s home in Delhi was mobbed with protesters after the comments made during the panel discussion were published.

India and Pakistan have long fought over who Kashmir belongs to. After Indian independence from the British in 1947 its leader chose to become part of India, with several wars breaking out since.

Both countries now claim the region in full but only control respective parts of it.

Mr Modi was re-elected prime minister last month but fell short of a majority.