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Danish star ‘barred’ from Game of Thrones set

One of the stars of the fantasy TV drama Games of Thrones, Danish heart-throb Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, has won new Spanish fans after he coughed up the entrance fee at Seville's Alcázar Palace — even though scenes from the show are being filmed there.

Published: 11 October 2014 12:31 CEST

Danish star 'barred' from Game of Thrones set

A Lannister always pays his... entrance fee? Photo: HBO

For the past week, sections of the stunning Alcázar Palace in Seville, Spain, have been cordoned off to prevent tourists from catching a glimpse of the biggest show in town: the filming of scenes for season five of Games of Thrones.

But Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — who plays Jaime Lannister on the show — almost saw himself barred from filming recently when staff at the massively popular tourist attraction failed to recognize him, asking to see his ticket before he could enter the complex.

Instead of making a scene though, the actor simply returned to the ticket office, paid his €9.50 ($12.00) admission fee and reentered.

"He didn't say anything," one of the staff who checks tickets at the palace — the oldest royal residence in Europe still in use — said later.

The incident also recalls the family motto of the character played by Coster-Waldau: "A Lannister always pays his debts."

The Local Spain has more on the filming of the new season of Game of Thrones.

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Norwegian reality show introduces sexual consent rule for contestants

The show has introduced on-screen consent requirements. Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Contestants in the latest series of Paradise Hotel, which aired on Monday night, will require contestants to demonstrate on-screen with a thumbs up to the camera that they consent to any sexual activity.

“We were told from day one that if we were to have sex, we had to consent with a thumbs up to the camera from both parties,” Stian Trulsen, a contestant on the hit reality series, told newspaper VG.

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Earlier this year, it was alleged that a male contestant abused two female participants on the Swedish edition of the show. Swedish prosecuting authorities are investigating the alleged abuse.

Christian Meinseth, program manager for production company Nent which makes the show, said the new rules weren’t directly introduced because of what happened on the Swedish programme.

“No, but we have, of course, worked with the series and looked at our practices around the format, so we ensure that Paradise Hotel is both a good watch and fun to be a participant in,” Meinseth told VG.

“We are very concerned about the participants’ safety, and we have not had any challenges around the new rules,” Meinseth added.

The program manager added that the production company wanted the show to reflect a more modern approach to sex.

“At the same time, we are also careful to monitor language use and how the participants describe each other. Everyone should show respect for each other, and there will be more focus on the game itself. Viewers can look forward to an exciting and entertaining season,” he said.

The 15th season of the show, which has been on Norwegian tv screens since 2009, will also include a “paradise talents” week where there is a focus on inner values as part of several on-screen and off-screen measures to try and promote more healthy sexual relationships.

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