The Rivals cast were out in force on Wednesday night as they celebrated the London premiere of series two with an after-party at Spencer House.
Emily Atack brought the glamour as she changed out of her red carpet silver gown and into a white patterned cocktail dress for the bash.
The actress, 36, – who plays the promiscuous Sarah Stratton – looked in the mood to party as she joined Stanley Tucci and a giggly Ferne Cotton for the celebrations.
While not in the show, Stanley, 65, attended the premiere to support his wife Felicity Blunt, 45, who was the literary agent to the late author, Dame Jilly Cooper, and serves as an executive producer on the show, which will be released on Friday.
Fearne, 44, meanwhile, looked effortlessly stylish in a powder blue suit, with other television personalities such as Laura Whitmore and Kate Lawler.
Show lead David Tennant, 55, who plays Tony Baddingham, rocked a crushed velvet purple suit to the bash.
The Rivals cast were out in force on Wednesday night as they celebrated the premiere of series two with an afterparty. Emily Atack brought the glamour in a white patterned cocktail dress
The actress, 36 – who plays the promiscuous Sarah Stratton – looked in the mood to party as she joined Stanley Tucci and a giggly Fearne Cotton for the celebrations
Dermot O’Leary, 52, and his wife Dee Koppang, 47, walked hand-in-hand to the party.
Actress Annabel Scholey, 42, caught the eye in a fuschia halterneck gown which she teamed with white heels while Tony Hadley was seen getting out of a taxi with a suitcase.
Victoria Smurfit, 52, who plays Maud O’Hara, looked vibrant in a blue silk dress.
Hayley Atwell, 44, opted for a dramatic collared shirt and a structured blazer and matching skirt.
Based on the late Dame Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel, the comedy-drama debuted on Disney+ in October 2024 and immediately became a huge hit.
The eight-episode first series ended in December 2024 and was soon renewed for a second outing.
And the all-star cast of David, Emily and Danny Dyer, to name just a few, are back for more raucous exploits in Rutshire, with the main cast members all attending the premiere.
Rivals series two more than lives up to its opening run, according to critics – with a string of five-star reviews heralding its return to screens on Friday.
Dermot O’Leary and his wife Dee Koppang walked hand-in-hand to the party
Ferne looked effortlessly stylish in a powder blue suit as she headed to the party
Show lead David Tennant, who plays Tony Baddingham, rocked a crushed velvet purple suit to the bash
While not in the show, Stanley, 65, attended to support his wife Felicity Blunt, 45, who was the literary agent the late author, Dame Jilly Cooper, and is an executive producer on the show
Actress Annabel Scholey caught the eye in a fuschia halterneck gown which she teamed with white heels
Tony Hadley even made an appearance and was seen getting out of a taxi with a suitcase
Victoria Smurfit, who plays Maud O’Hara, looked vibrant in a blue silk dress
Hayley Atwell opted for a dramatic collared shirt and a structured blazer and matching skirt
Pregnant Laura Whitmore caught the eye with her sheer lace trousers
BAFTA winner Katherine Parkinson was also seen arriving at the party
Kate Lawler looked glamorous in a white pinstripe suit and black heels
Stanley looked so proud of his wife as they posed for a photo
Hayley was in good spirits as she joined the actor for a photo
Victoria and Catriona Chandler posed for a photo
Tony enjoyed a glass of fizz at the party
(L to R) Ned Wolfgang Kelly, Hayley, Stanley and his wife Felicity
Bella Maclean opted for a long black gown with pink and red detailing
Emily led the glamorous arrivals to the premiere for Rivals series two held at the BFI IMAX South Bank
Critics previewing the first four episodes have almost unanimously praised the second outing.
Sarah Dempster for The Guardian gives the show five stars but muses ‘how best to reward such exquisitely knowing escapism? Ten stars? Ten thousand stars? Rivals is beyond earthly praise’.
The Telegraph’s Benji Wilson agrees with another five-star write-up, as he declares that ‘Rivals continues to refresh the parts that other television cannot reach – a heady mix of guilty pleasure, trenchant satire, rambunctious comedy and out-and-out trash’.
Carol Midgley for The Times says ‘despite its deliberate corniness, this is also gloriously uplifting television. It is unashamedly celebratory and perhaps even better than the last series’.
Den Of Geek’s Lacy Baugher praises the show’s ‘sprawling cast’ who ‘remain thoroughly excellent throughout’.
Baugher singles out Emily ‘who steals much of this run of episodes, and makes her Sarah feel indispensable to the larger world of Rutshire in ways few of us likely expected’.
Rebecca Nicholson for the Financial Times is one of the few to not award five stars, giving the second series three instead.
‘Some of the storylines, particularly those about the TV industry, drag a little,’ she writes. ‘Rivals needs more slapstick, more of those capers, to keep things as light as they need to be for it to really work… Rivals is at its strongest when it embraces its silly side, and accepts its lot as a jolly old romp.’
Nick Hilton for The Independent knocks one star off but says there is plenty to rave about, particularly in the acting. ‘There is a sense, across the cast, that everyone is enjoying themselves immensely, whether they’re romping on a pony or romping on a staircase,’ he writes.
‘That’s what makes Rivals such a rare treat in today’s television landscape. It is well-written and well-acted, but it aspires to nothing more than being fun. Real, associable human emotions are kept at arm’s length in favour of stylised bucolic horniness.’
Rivals returns on May 15 on Disney+.
