11 Behind-The-Scenes Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Rivals Season 2

From jaw-dropping cameos to a careful approach to nude scenes, here’s how the new episodes came together.

If the promise of more David Tennant supervillainary, Danny Dyer’s homegrown moustache and thrusting bum cheeks aplenty isn’t enough to get your juices flowing for Rivals series two, perhaps those unanimously glowing reviews will do it.

The TV adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles is back for a second go, and with Disney building anticipation with a staggered release this time round, fans might be wondering what to expect from the new drop.

All the usual suspects like Lord Baddingham, Freddie Jones, Rupert Campbell-Black, Declan O’Hara and Cameron Cook are back for more scheming and shagging in the new instalments, and with Rivals building on the success of its first series, it’s probably no great surprise that filming for the new season was a largely no-holds-barred affair.

Here are 11 behind-the-scenes facts you may not have known about how season two of Rivals came to be…

We’ve got the success of Rivals’ first series to thank for season two’s supersized length

When Rivals first hit our screens in October 2024, Disney served up all eight episodes up front.

Proving the UK’s eternal appetite for a bit of well done smut, it quickly became the streamer’s most successful general entertainment premiere to date, as well as picking up Bafta and International Emmy Award nods.

Because of this, Rivals’ second season earned the right to go even bigger, with an extra four episodes being added to the slate for what Deadline referred to at the time as a “rare” 12-episode run.

Rivals’ creators had stars approaching them asking for parts in season 2

According to director Elliot Hegarty, such was the success of season one that for the follow-up, they had actors actively pitching themselves for a role.

One such actor is My Best Friend’s Wedding star Rupert Everett, who managed to land himself the role of Malise........

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