- WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS
Rivals stars have stripped naked for eye-popping sex scenes in a raunchy new trailer for the Disney+ ‘bonkbuster’ – as fans cheered ‘we are so back!’
Within the first few seconds of the trailer, two mystery naked bodies can be seen writhing on top of one another in very steamy display.
James Vereker, TV host at Corinium, played by Oliver Chris strips down completely naked and viewers also see Danny Dyer go shirtless as Freddie Jones for a passionate kiss .
The trailer showcases the five main characters, including David Tennant’s Lord Tony Baddingham, the ruthless managing director of television company Corinium – and Emily Atack’s rising TV star Sarah Stratton.
Then there’s antagonist and long-standing enemy of Baddingham, Rupert Campbell-Black, played by The Tragedy Of Macbeth’s Alex Hassell, a retired Olympic show-jumper, now a Tory MP.
Declan O’Hara, played by Poldark’s Aidan Turner, the ex-BBC journalist who got recruited to Corinium, and Black Lighting’s Nafessa Williams’ Cameron Cook, an American TV-producer, also return.
The series will roll out in two six-episode batches, beginning with a three-episode premiere on May 15 in the US, followed by the second batch later this year on Disney+ in the UK.
The main line-up is completed by Sex Education’s Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara.
In the final episode of series one, Lord Baddingham was left for dead after being struck on the head with a trophy during an explosive confrontation with Cameron.
But the trailer has confirmed he’s alive and well, making his return in a shiny helicopter scene, suffering ‘a headache’ and back ‘at war’ with his TV rival Rupert.
The synopsis teased: ‘The battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches a fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a dangerous new phase.
‘More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.
‘Amidst the hedonistic glamour of 80s excess, the personal lives of our Rutshire heroes spiral into chaos.
‘Marriages fracture under the weight of ambition, illicit affairs threaten to shatter families, and long-buried secrets ignite with explosive consequences.
‘As rivalries push everyone to the brink, loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in the pursuit of victory. But what is the true cost of war?’
‘The naughtiest show on television returns,’ Disney+ added under the trailer, confirming its release date for May 15.
Earlier this month it was reported that the new series will be raunchier than ever.
The Disney+ series, based on the late Jilly Cooper’s novel of the same name, became an instant hit when it debuted in 2024.
A second series is due to air in May and Disney are said to be so confident it will do well that talks of a third series have already begun.
The third instalment of the show would be based on Jilly’s 1991 novel Polo, the third book in her Rutshire Chronicles.
A source told The Sun: ‘It’s not clear yet if the next series will still be called Rivals or flip to become Polo, or perhaps another title altogether.
‘Either way, Disney are so confident the second series will be as well received as the debut season they already have wheels in motion on the third.
‘Fans will be delighted to know that almost all the characters in Rivals also appear in Polo — and the follow-up novel is just as steamy as its predecessor, if not more so.’
Filming for the third series could begin later this year and would likely air in late 2027 or early 2028.
Katherine Parkinson previously shared the cast’s devastated reaction to the death of Dame Jilly Cooper midway through filming.
Dame Jilly had been heavily involved in the production of the series, including overseeing the writing of the scripts, and joining the cast of the big-budget 80s show on set.
Speaking to Daily Mail at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards, she added that the cast hope the second series will ‘do Jilly justice.’
Ms Parkinson said: ‘It was a real shock. Obviously she was, whatever age she was, it was a real shock and everyone was really quite stunned by it.
‘But I think that we just want the show to do her justice even more than before, and I think it will, and we’ve got 12 episodes, and I’m really excited for you all to see.’
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