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A Tideswell baby has made her small screen debut starring in the hit series House of the Dragon aged just six months.

Ziggy Hopkins appeared as baby Princess Helaena Targaryen in House of the Dragon on Sunday.

Her mum Emma Hopkins said: “This has been the hardest secret to keep for almost a year, I’m so glad it’s been shown on the telly now so we can actually talk about it.”

Mum-of-three Emma signed Ziggy to a modelling agency last year and almost straight away was asked to audition for a program called Red Gun at Warner Studios in London.

Actor Emily Carey who plays Lady Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon holding baby Ziggy who played Princess Helaena Targaryen in an episode which aired on Sunday.

The 29-year-old said: “We really thought that was the programme name, we didn't realise it was a cover name for one of the biggest TV shows in the world.

"When we got down to London all the babies had blonde hair and blue eyes so we guessed that was the brief but knew nothing more.”

Ziggy, who was born in March 2021, was just six months old at the time of the audition and Emma was contacted the next day to say her daughter had got the part.

Emma said: “We went down to the studios a couple of times as Ziggy had to be measured and fitted for her costume and so she could get used to meet the actors she would be working with.”

Ziggy and another baby both got the part and filming took place around Halloween last year and her scene was shown at 2am on Sunday morning on Sky Atlantic.

Emma said: “We didn’t know when her scene would be so we’ve been staying up late every night to watch them all.”

House of the Dragon is a prequel to the world wide TV series Game of Thrones.

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Emma, who runs a youth choir in Great Longstone, said: “My brother is a huge Game of Thrones fan so it's been so hard not to talk about this with him and he’s so proud of Ziggy – we all are.

"I know she won’t remember it but it’s something nice and a bit different too.”

Emma’s other daughter’s Minnie, 4, and Lulu, 3, have also been signed with the modelling agency on the back of Ziggy’s success.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. – Louise Cooper, editor.

Tideswell baby appears in House of the Dragon TV show

Family and friends of Buxton man raise over £9,000 in his memory

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. – Louise Cooper, editor.