Jilly Cooper's Rivals's six eye-popping sex scenes explained as Emily Atack stars
Dame Jilly Cooper’s novels have made her queen of the bonkbuster and her army of fans will be thrilled to discover the new TV adaptation of one of her racy novels is just as risqué. Get ready for sex, scandal and scheming as Rivals hits screens starring Poldark’s Aidan Turner, Doctor Who actor David Tennant and The Boys’ Alex Hassell.
Just like the book, this eight-part series throws a spotlight on the cutthroat world of independent television in the late 80s as Lord Tony Baddingham – played by David Tennant – battles to survive. But it’s not all business, viewers can expect plenty of backstabbing, too, thanks to the tense rivalry between Lord Baddingham and his charismatic neighbour, Olympian-turned-politician Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), who leaves women swooning wherever he goes.
As the war heats up, Aidan Turner’s character, Declan O’Hara, finds himself trapped between the powerful rivals, while both his daughter and his wife are caught in Rupert’s sexual web, which Lord Baddingham is more than happy to exploit. The series is not for the faint-hearted. Created and produced by ex-EastEnders boss, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the first episode features six eye-popping sex scenes and a naked game of tennis between Rupert and one of his conquests, Sarah Stratton, played by Inbetweeners star Emily Atack.
READ MORE:Neighbours star living in shipping container nearly two decades after leaving show
No stranger to getting his kit off on screen, Aidan caused a storm when he stripped off in the BBC series Poldark. But, according to the actor, anyone expecting to see Poldark’s chiselled six-pack might be a little disappointed. “They won’t go mental any more,” he laughs. “I mean, Poldark was a very different character, he was more active, he was a farmer. Declan isn’t that. He’s a journalist, and most of his time is spent sitting in a chair.”
With so much bonking, it’s safe to say the show’s team of intimacy co-ordinators were kept busy. But they created such a safe space for the actors that Emily Atack often forgot she was naked.
Sign up to OK!'s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
She says, “I felt so comfortable that I’d forget to put my robe back on. I’d be sitting there and suddenly think, ‘Oh, right, I’ve still got those out!’” Aidan adds, “It’s the most vulnerable you can be but you have to act the opposite of that. Everyone’s so good at this – it’s not their first rodeo – so we knew how to be professional and everyone felt comfortable on set.”
The cast of Rivals is like a who’s who of British and Irish acting talent, with Victoria Smurfit as Declan’s former actress wife Maud and Katherine Parkinson as author Lizzie Vereker, while Danny Dyer is electronics tycoon Freddie Jones. But it was a part he nearly missed out on. “It came to me at a time when I couldn’t do it, and I was gutted,” explains Danny, who had just finished playing Mick Carter in EastEnders at the time.
“And then the stars aligned and they came back to me. I think they went to look for Freddie Jones and couldn’t find Freddie Jones. I would have been devastated if it hadn’t worked out. But I don’t think anyone else could have played him.”
While Lord Baddingham and Rupert battle it out with ego and arrogance, it’s actually Freddie who is the wealthiest man in the room. But he just can’t stand a snob. “Especially snobs who forget where they came from,” agrees Danny. “David Tennant’s character, who’s trying to get my money for investment, does something a bit unsavoury and I’m one of the only characters that calls him out for it.”
Katherine’s Rivals alter-ego, romance novelist Lizzie, is married to daytime TV presenter James (Oliver Chris), but is living a loveless existence when viewers first meet her. However, it’s not long before a sexual spark ignites between Lizzie and Freddie.
So can fans expect even more bedroom action? “It’s interesting how it pans out,” explains Danny. “But you’ll be shocked.” Katherine adds, “Bonnie Tyler is involved! It’s the threesome of all threesomes,” adds Danny. “Perfect for this series!”
While fans of the novel will enjoy seeing the characters come to life on screen, Katherine says you don’t, like her, need to have read the book. That’s because she believes Jilly’s work is so ingrained in popular culture that everyone will understand what to expect. “I was very aware that it was ‘raunchy’,” says Katherine, “and I didn’t want my daddy to see!” But Aidan is convinced that it’s not just the sex that will have fans hooked, whether they have read the novel or not.
He adds, “It’s taken so long for Jilly to get this on TV. It’s worth the wait. They’re all such great characters. When I read the script, I just thought, ‘I’ve got to do this.’ You ask yourself, ‘Would I feel OK passing on this and watching the show with somebody else playing the role?’ It’s always a good test, and it freaked me out. I couldn’t do that.”
Rivals arrives on Disney+ on Friday 11th October.
