Kit Harington reveals emotional reason he took Harry Potter role

Kit Harington has revealed the Harry Potter audiobooks helped with his sobriety.

The 39-year-old actor was recently confirmed to be playing Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's upcoming reboot of the wizarding franchise, and he admitted Sir Stephen Fries' narration of JK Rowling's novels were a source of comfort once he quit drinking.

He told the Happy Sad Confused podcast: "I listen to the Stephen Fry audiobooks. And I do that because my brain is incredibly busy, especially at night, and I’ve always found going to bed very difficult.

"My brain doesn’t turn off. When I got sober, that got especially bad.

"And so I started listening to Harry Potter audiobooks, and now they’re the thing I listen to every night. So they have a very special place in my heart.”

The former Game of Thrones star recently voiced arrogant celebrity wizard Lockhart in Audible's recent audiobooks, but he was already on board with the idea of the upcoming TV series.

He said: "When I knew they were doing this show, I was like, ‘I think that’s a brilliant idea, I think they can really delve into it further than the films did.’

"I’m fully supportive of it. And then I got called to be in it, and that was just a very simple, ‘Yes, please!'”

He quipped: "He’s addicted to himself. He’s just a tiny step to my left."

Production for season two of the Harry Potter series, which will focus on the Chamber of Secrets, is underway, but Kit admitted he was staying tight lipped about any potential details.

Asked if he'd started talks about how his version of Lockhart will look, he revealed those discussions are happening right now.

He added: "I’m going to say highly little about anything because it’s very secretive. But yes, I’m engaging with that as we speak.”

The self-professed Potter "nerd" is excited to step onto the iconic set for the first time, while the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden have a more grounded appeal too.

Kit, who has two young children with his wife Rose Leslie, explained: “[Harry Potter] films down the road from me. So I get to be a dad; I get to go play in a world I love. Genuinely, right now I’m very content.”