Game of Thrones star 'sorry' for lying to fans

This story contains spoilers...

A Game of Thrones star involved in a shock plot twist says he's sorry for lying to fans for the best part of a year.

Spoilers follow...

Jon Snow was revealed to be alive in last night's episode of Thrones, shocking fans who thought he had died after being repeatedly stabbed at the end of season five.

The actor who plays Snow, Kit Harrington, told Entertainment Weekly he had been asked to play two roles this season: that of Snow, and also of an actor who had departed a popular TV show.

"I'd like to say sorry for lying to everyone. I'm glad that people were upset that he died. I think my biggest fear was that people were not going to care. Or it would just be, 'Fine, Jon Snow's dead'," he said.

"But it seems like people had a, similar to the Red Wedding episode, kind of grief about it. Which means something I'm doing - or the show is doing - is right."

Harrington also said Snow had his biggest season yet coming up.

"It's a massive season for him, it's the biggest season for him so far, he features very prominently this season," he said.

"I was told that when I was told I was coming back - that the season I was coming back for would be my biggest, and that's quite a lot to take as well."

Harrington said he spent more days on set than any season yet - and more than any other of the show's actors.

In April, weeks before the season six premiere on 24 April, Kit maintained his story and told UK chat show host Jonathan Ross that he was no longer involved in the show.

"You're looking at me like you don't believe me," he told Jonathan. "It's going to be so relieving when people actually see the show and realise that I don't come back ... It's going to be so satisfying when you see it and you realise that I was telling the truth the whole time."

Snow's fate was revealed at the end of last night's episode. Lying dead on a concrete table, Melisandre, played by Carice van Houten, sponged his body, cut off locks of his hair and cast a spell over him.

Having apparently failed in her mission to bring Snow back to life, The Red Woman appeared distraught and left the room, as did everyone else.

The episode ended with Snow's dire wolf Ghost, asleep beside Snow's table, opening his eyes, before Snow's eyes opened and he coughed and gasped for breath.

Snow was killed at the end of season five after being stabbed repeatedly by rebellious members of the Night's Watch unhappy with his leadership, and speculation has built ever since over whether or not the show's leading man really was dead.