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Rivals star reacts to "gratifying" Lady Monica Baddingham return appearances in new episodes

It's not a complete farewell to Monica just yet.

Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham in Disney Plus's Rivals

Robert Viglasky/Disney

Published: Thursday, 12 November 2026 at 2:00 pm

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*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Rivals season 2 episode 7.*

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With the sixth episode of Rivals season 2 leaving us all on such a heartbroken note for Monica (Claire Rushbrook), fans will be more than pleased that she returns for further scenes in this later half of the season.

In the seventh episode, we learn that despite initially thinking that Monica had been killed instantly in the storm, she was actually alive when Rupert (Alex Hassell) found her.

Reflecting on those scenes, Claire Rushbrook spoke to Radio Times at An Evening with Radio Times... at the BFI and said: "I just want to say how deeply moving it was, the response and how touched I was to see all of the edits, all of the comments.

"And what a privilege it is to see Monica's presence felt in various ways. I think the writers have been very generous in honouring her and her legacy. I can't say too much, but it has just been very gratifying for it not to be as sudden an ending as the story tells."

Monica (Claire Rushbrook) and Tony (David Tennant) in Rivals Season 2

Monica (Claire Rushbrook) and Tony (David Tennant) in Rivals. Disney+

In this second season, viewers have come to learn a little bit more about Monica's past and friendship with Dame Enid (Selina Griffiths). But are there any stories that Rushbrook would be keen to continue to tell with Monica?

When asked that, Rushbrook said: "Monica was a prisoner of herself, really. It was only too late in the day that she came to understand and give power to her own feelings. There's a world of Monica's history that she could barely acknowledge herself, let alone act on.

"I think they wrote so brilliantly and continue to for all the characters, such nuance and depth and subtlety. What we see on the surface is not just it. There's so much more."

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And one of Monica's lasting legacies over the course of this season will of course be within Rupert, who seems to have had a change of heart in these new episodes.

"It impacts him immensely," Hassell previously shared with Radio Times. "Actually, I was realising as you were saying that that he does tell Tony that she wasn’t dead and they talked – but he doesn’t tell anyone else about it. He just keeps that to himself, which is very Rupert-y, I think."

He continues: "It is part of catalysing a massive sea change in him, along with his relationship with Taggie and his kids sort of being taken away from him and his wife being back in the picture. Everyone’s impressing upon him that he has done very bad things.

"Monica’s dying words were 'You need to sort yourself out and you shouldn't break Taggie's heart' makes him think a great deal and try and reckon with the mistakes of his past and try and move into a new place in the future. He's a complicated man so it's a complicated journey."

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Rivals season 2 episodes 7-9 arrive on Wednesday 11 November on Disney+, with the remaining three episodes then arriving weekly. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month.

Add Rivals to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Lewis Knight, smiling against a lime green background.

Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor

Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Morgan Cormack, smiling against a lime green background

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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