Rivals season 2 confirms Marvel favourite and British acting legend joining cast as major characters
Season 2 promises more chaos for Rupert.
Rivals fans, rejoice! Season 2 has cast Rupert Everett and Hayley Atwell in key roles.
More larger-than-life characters will be joining the fray in season 2 and making life even more complicated for Alex Hassell's Rivals lead Rupert Campbell Black.
Atwell is set to play Helen Gordon, Rupert's ex-wife and the mother of his daughters, and Everett is set to take on the role of Malise Gordon, her new husband and Rupert's former show-jumping coach in what was dubbed "very exciting" casting.
More guest stars announced include Maxim Ays, Holly Cattle, Oliver Dench, Amanda Lawrence, Bobby Lockwood, Eliot Salt, and Jonny Weldon.
The castings were announced during a panel for the show at Edinburgh TV Festival 2025.
The show, based on the Rutshire Chronicles by Jilly Cooper, follows a fierce competition for an independent television franchise - with larger-than-life characters at every turn.
During a panel at Edinburgh TV Festival 2025, the show's creator, Dominic Treadwell Collins, also promised more "pining" ahead for Taggie and Rupert, making it clear that it's not going to be smooth sailing for the pair of them.
Collins also said that the show was faced with "snobbery" when he first pitched it.
"I kept an eye on them and a few years ago - I kept writing these letters to Jilly Cooper and her agent," he explained, before revealing that he won the author's favour with a love letter.
Lee Mason, Executive Director of Scripted Originals, EMEA Disney+, added in a statement shared with press: “Rivals is a landmark series for Disney+, quickly becoming one of our most beloved British UK Orginal dramas. I'm delighted to welcome Hayley and Rupert to our extraordinary family of actors. They are a perfect match for the world of Rutshire, so lovingly created by Dame Jilly and the team at Happy Prince.”
Rivals premiered to widespread acclaim last year, with season 2 beginning filming in May 2025. It's also been confirmed that season 2 will consist of 12 episodes - four more than previously.
Cast members David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer are all confirmed to be reprising their roles.
Rivals season 1 is available to stream on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus now for £4.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
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.
