If you thought Rivals had wrapped things up with a bonk, a blackout, and a bit of blackmail, think again.
The gloriously OTT Disney+ adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s 1988 bonkbuster is back for another round of horsey sex, television skulduggery and aristocratic drama and we now know exactly who’s returning, where they’re filming, and which character didn’t actually die in that shocking series one finale.
Here’s everything we know (and everything we’re furiously speculating) about Rivals season two and yes, this includes a very-much-alive Lord Baddingham.
Wait, who’s back from the dead?
David Tennant’s scheming TV exec Lord Tony Baddingham was last seen receiving a not-so-gentle whack to the head from Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams), leaving viewers assuming he’d exited stage left for good. But no. In what appears to be a faithful return to Jilly Cooper’s original plot, Tennant has been spotted on set, scar and all.
Yes, Lord Tony lives! Sporting a very theatrical gash across his temple, Tennant’s return confirms the series will continue to play fast and loose with murder but perhaps not that loose.
Fans spotted Tennant filming in the Gloucestershire countryside alongside co-stars Aidan Turner (Declan O’Hara), Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black) and Bella Maclean (Agatha “Taggie” O’Hara), which suggests the stakes, and libidos, remain high.
So what will season two cover?
Although the first season boasted eight episodes of scandal, sabotage, and sex appeal, it only covered half of Cooper’s novel. That means there’s a lot more plotting, romping and feuding left to unfurl.
And judging by cast and crew updates, the next instalment will stay relatively close to the source material with a few TV-friendly liberties along the way.
The will-they-won’t-they (but mostly will) romance between Rupert and Taggie remains central, with Hassell and Maclean confirmed to return.
Emily Atack’s Sarah Stratton will also be back, likely still dealing with that dramatic revelation at the end of season one. And as for Cameron Cook? Williams is very much on set - presumably still wielding weapons and charisma in equal measure.
Expect more boardroom battles, bedroom antics, and blow-dries set to wind machine levels of drama.
What do we know about filming?
Filming began in spring 2025 across Gloucestershire and Somerset, which is fitting, given that the Rutshire Chronicles are as spiritually rooted in the English countryside as a Labrador in wellies.
Disney+ has released a series of behind-the-scenes images: Bella Maclean posing with a clapperboard and a very photogenic dog, Tennant sporting prosthetic scar makeup, and Danny Dyer looking suspiciously content with Lisa McGrillis.
It’s giving Dynasty with deck shoes and dog breeds. And fans? They’re rabid. “We’re so back baby!” wrote one commenter. “I’m awake. I’m crying. I’m excited,” said another. No pressure, then.
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Season one wrapped filming in September 2023 and hit screens a month later, in October 2024. With season two now in production, we’re looking at a likely 2026 release, though possibly earlier if Disney+ hears the pleas of the UK’s Jillycore faithful.
And they’ve got even more to look forward to: this time, it’s not just eight episodes, but twelve, thanks to what executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins calls an “extended stay in Rutshire.”
When will it air?
- Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, the dashing posho with a soft spot for his horses (and increasingly, for Taggie).
- Bella Maclean as Agatha “Taggie” O’Hara, the sweet 20-year-old who fell for Rupert in series one, despite some very obvious red flags.
- David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham, scarred, vengeful, and likely plotting.
- Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, glamorous, dangerous, and already wielding a weapon.
- Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, returning with secrets in tow.
- Danny Dyer and Lisa McGrillis as Freddie and Valerie Jones - presumably still sniping and snogging in equal measure.
Dame Jilly herself remains an executive producer and if her quote is anything to go by, she’s having a riot. “I'm utterly sex-static filming for the second season is upon us,” she said. “I’m delighted to be able to work with [Disney+] again and for everyone to see what further mischief they all get up to!”
In other words: more mischief, more mayhem, more martinis.
Could there be a third series?
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Almost certainly. With Rivals only the second of eleven books in the Rutshire Chronicles, there’s plenty more polo, power-grabbing and posh chaos to adapt.
If season three follows Cooper’s Polo!, we could be seeing Ricky France-Lynch and Perdita MacLeod take centre stage - a tortured love story involving competitive polo, daddy issues and a LOT of riding (in every sense).
Cast members seem eager, too. Victoria Smurfit, who plays Maud O’Hara, said she’s gunning for a third and fourth series: “You’ve got so many glorious characters to follow.”