Game of Thrones season 6 episode 3: Rickon Stark actor confirms fate of Shaggydog

** Spoilers for season six, episode three below

Bran’s flashback may have been the big talking point from “Oathbreaker”, but it was Rickon’s return to Game of Thrones that really upset people.

Why? Not only has the young Stark been captured by the evil Ramsey Bolton, his beloved Direwolf, Shaggydog, has been killed.

Many fans are in denial, thinking it could be any old wolf’s head. However, Rickon Stark himself, actor Art Parkinson, has confirmed that Shaggy is dead.

“Uh, yeah, I’d say so,” he told HuffingtonPost when asked whether that was actually Shaggy’s decapitated head.

“It was a little bit disappointing because, you know, looking at the dogs we had on set ... and that you’d never really get to hang out with them again. When I read that Shaggydog was dead, I was definitely a little upset.”

In the same interview, Parkinson revealed that his mother now lets him watch most of Game of Thrones, having not let the young actor watch it all the way through when he first appeared in the show.

“Nowadays, I’m allowed to watch it a little bit more. I’m allowed to watch it because I think it’s gotten to an extent where I have to sort of know what’s going on in the show. I’m not completely caught up. I’m only on the second season at the minute, but I have a lot of friends who watch it, and they sort of keep me up to date on what’s been going on.”

Speaking about Rickon’s story in the show, he said the character is more “feral” than before, having spent time away, fending for himself. Commenting on the speculation the Umber family are plotting to betray the Boltons, he said: “Well, you know, the show is so full of twists and turns, so it is possible, but it would be disappointing if Jon Umber did really betray us.”

Meanwhile, Game of Thrones fans have been speculating over what the Tower of Joy flashbacks will finally reveal, with some predicting, not only will we found out who Jon Snow’s real parents are, but also that he has a twin sister.