Game Of Thrones season 6: HBO cast actress Melanie Liburd as new Red Priestess

Game Of Thrones has cast British actress Melanie Liburd as a Red Woman ahead of the new season airing in 2016. But fans of Carice Van Houten's Melisandre need not worry that Lubird will be replacing her as the show's Red Priestess, as she's joining the show as an additional follower of The Lord Of The Light, rather than an alternative.

The next season is currently filming on location in Belfast, Ireland and Spain with Liburd recently being spotted on the latter set cloaked in red, and seemingly gathering followers around her. But while the studios have now officially confirmed her involvement and character, her storyline and quite how she will tie in with existing Red Woman Melisandre is unclear.

Van Houten has recently got fans speculating as to where her character is heading, after admitting at this year's Comic-Con that even she doesn't know what could be in store just yet. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about whether or not she will play a part in potentially resurrecting fan-favourite Jon Snow after his shocking death at the end of season five, she vaguely stated: "I'm as in the dark as you are all. But who knows, man. I can't tell you anything."

Earlier in 2015, however, in an interview with The New Daily, she confirmed her character had been very interested in Snow at the end of the last season and coyly suggested that it could mean she might be associated with his return. If he actually does that is. "You've seen her clock Jon Snow, which is a great ending because you think, 'Uh oh, what's going to happen there?' You feel that she is concentrating more and more towards Jon Snow... There are slight hints that something's going to happen.

"I was doing automated dialogue replacement the other day and then the producer was there and he was saying something that I've heard before, which is quite spectacular, for next year, which I reallycan't say anything about." Unfortunately, fans will just have to wait to see what Melisandre will get up to in the next season, but with another priestess of The Lord Of The Light in Westeros, whatever it is, it is bound to be exciting.

Liburd is just one of the new faces joining the hugely-popular fantasy drama ahead of the sixth series. HBO have previously cast Deadwood star Ian McShane and Richard E Grant in unknown roles. They have also added The Exorcist's Max von Sydow as the Three-Eyed Raven and Danish actor Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy.

Liburd, 27, has mainly been seen in television roles to date, starring in shows such as Dracula, Stalker and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She will next be seen in Fox comedy The Grinder alongside It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Parks And Recreation star Rob Lowe. She has also been recently cast in an upcoming untitled Kevin Williamson psychological thriller opposite Dylan McDermott, which will start production in the next few weeks.