)
Rivals season 2 on Disney+: the big questions we need answered
)
The battle for Rutshire is back. Marriages are fracturing, secrets are exploding and Tony Baddingham is more ruthless than ever. Here’s all you need to know about Rivals season 2 on Disney+
By Simon Ward, Content Director
- Published
- 12 May 2026
If you thought season one of Rivals was scandalous enough, then buckle up, honey. The Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning series is back, and it’s turning up the heat. The utterly addictive adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved novel returns to Disney+ (Apps > Disney+) on Friday 15 May with a three-episode premiere, and all the drama, the glamour and the devastating betrayals are dialled up to 11. As are the shoulder pads…
Here are the big questions going into season 2, and why you absolutely need to be watching. Don’t have Disney+? Scroll to the end to find out how to get it on Virgin TV.
What happened at the end of season 1?
)
If you need a quick recap before diving in, we’ve got you covered. Light spoilers incoming. Season 1 followed the fierce battle for the Central South West television franchise – a war between the powerful, manipulative Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant, Doctor Who) of Corinium TV and the upstart rival company Venturer, set up by Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell, The Tragedy Of Macbeth) and Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner, Poldark).
Along the way, there were affairs, ambition, polo matches, sequins, shoulder pad, sequinned shoulder pads and enough wild 80s excess to fill a library of Filofaxes.
The key relationships – Rupert and Taggie (Bella Maclean, Sex Education), Declan and Maud (Victoria Smurfit, Bloodlands), Freddie (Danny Dyer, EastEnders) and Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson, Humans) – were all tested to their limits. And at the centre of it all, Tony Baddingham proved himself to be one of television’s great villains: charming, calculating and utterly without mercy.
All episodes of Season 1 are available to stream now on Disney+, so there’s no excuse not to catch up before the new season arrives on Friday 15 May. Want a more detailed recap of what happened in Rivals season 1? Click below. Be warned, it contains major spoilers for season 1.
It all begins with Tony Baddingham making what looks like a savvy power move – hiring volatile but brilliant Irish broadcaster Declan O’Hara to front a prestige interview show for Corinium, alongside sharp American producer Cameron Cook. The O’Hara family uproots to the Rutshire countryside, and Declan’s rude awakening is almost immediate: Tony isn’t a patron, he’s a puppet master.
As Declan and Cameron navigate their fractious working relationship – which crackles with typical Jilly Cooper tension – Tony sets about recruiting wealthy businessman Freddie Jones to the Corinium board. Christmas arrives, bringing Maud O’Hara’s extravagant party plans and a New Year’s Eve that leaves several relationships permanently altered and the first significant appearance of Rupert Campbell-Black in Taggie O’Hara’s orbit. Something quietly begins between them.
The rivalry between Declan and Rupert peaks in a live television interview, which Declan plans as a devastating attack – but which ends up being considerably more complicated. Corinium lands a historic interview with Margaret Thatcher and Declan’s ego grows with each success, while his relationship with Tony deteriorates.
The pivotal turn comes when Cameron bumps into Rupert at an awards ceremony in Spain. What follows changes everything: Rupert backs a new rival company, Venturer, with Declan and Freddie alongside him. When Tony finds out, his fury is wild – and he responds the only way he knows how, intensifying his relationship with Cameron while using her as an instrument of control.
Rivals season 1 ends with both sides preparing for a gladiatorial public meeting to decide who should hold the television franchise. The war is properly on. Tony, facing humiliation, is sharpening every weapon he has. And whatever is happening between Taggie and Rupert is very much unfinished business…
What’s the battle about in season 2?
The war isn’t over – it’s just getting nastier. In the second season, the battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a dangerous new phase. More ruthless than ever, Tony is determined to dismantle his rivals piece by piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.
The new trailer spotlights the vengeful return of Lord Tony Baddingham, who is on a mission to destroy Rupert Campbell-Black and Declan O’Hara’s rival television company Venturer. As if Tony wasn’t already terrifying enough in season 1, it appears there are new levels for him to reach. Wonderful news for viewers. Terrible news for everyone in Rutshire, though.
How bad does it get for our favourite couples?
)
Oh, it gets very bad. Amid 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.
Rivals’ addictive romances are teased in the new trailer, with our couples – Rupert and Taggie, Freddie and Lizzie, Declan and Maud, Charles (Gary Lamont, Boiling Point) and Gerald (Hubert Burton, Wolf Hall), Sarah (Emily Atack, The Inbetweeners) and Paul (Rufus Jones, W1A) – all navigating twists and turns in their relationships.
But we’re all left wondering which of them will get their happy endings as the season returns. As rivalries push everyone to the brink, loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in the pursuit of victory, what is the true cost of war?
If you’ve read the books, you’ll have some idea. If you haven’t – honestly, don’t look it up. Just let it happen to you.
Who’s back and who’s new?
)
The glorious ensemble cast all return to reprise their iconic roles. David Tennant is back as the magnificent villain Lord Tony Baddingham, Alex Hassell returns as Rupert Campbell-Black, Aidan Turner as Declan O’Hara and Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook. Bella Maclean is back as Taggie O’Hara, Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker, Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, Victoria Smurfit as Maud O’Hara, Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton and Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton – among many others.
But season 2 also sees the addition of some very exciting new guest stars. Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning) joins as Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and the mother of his two children. And Rupert Everett (Napoleon) arrives as her husband, Malise Gordon, who just so happens to be Campbell-Black’s former showjumping coach and mentor. The two of them arriving in Rutshire at the same time as Tony is sharpening his knives? The chaos is going to be spectacular.
Also joining are fan-favourite characters from Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved Rutshire Chronicles – Sebbie and Dommie Carlisle, played by Maxim Ays (Boarders) and Bobby Lockwood (Wolfblood). The new trailer treats viewers to footage of Rutshire’s favourite international sport, polo, as the Carlisle brothers make their entrance.
What makes David Tennant so good as Tony Baddingham?
)
Where to start? There’s an adage about interesting villains not believing they’re villains. Instead, they absolutely believe themselves to be the hero. So, who better to play a man like Tony Baddingham than David Tennant, who is equally adept at portraying heroic centuries-old Time Lords (Doctor Who) and stoical detectives (Broadchurch) as he is at playing serial killers (Des) and mind-controlling supervillains (Jessica Jones)?
Tony Baddingham is one of those rare TV villains who is utterly reprehensible and yet utterly magnetic. He’s charming, he’s vicious, he’s devastatingly well-dressed. And Tennant plays him with the kind of relish that makes every scene crackle. You could almost believe Tony is the good guy in all this. Almost…
The fact that he’s now more ruthless than ever in season 2, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him, suggests we’re in for an absolute masterclass. If you thought you knew how bad Tony could be, think again.
Is this show just a guilty pleasure?
)
Dame Jilly Cooper’s books have always provoked snobbery – something that often follows anything that people actually like (the author sold more than 11 million books in total in the UK alone). To some extent, that probably helped their success – the idea you shouldn’t be reading them – but unashamedly entertaining books or TV shows like Rivals are often dubbed “guilty pleasures” .
If that term gives you the ick, then you aren’t alone. As Marina Woods, writing in Varsity, said: “Calling Rivals a guilty pleasure undermines its quality, however kindly it is meant.” And Rivals, as an Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning series, is objectively excellent television that both critics and audiences adored.
But it’s also enormous, audacious fun. The 80s setting gives it a glittering, excess-drenched aesthetic. The performances are extraordinary across the board. The writing – from a team including Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Olivier Award-winning playwright Laura Wade – is sharp, propulsive and frequently devastating.
It’s the rare show that works as a prestige drama and the kind of thing you watch with a glass of wine, gasping at what just happened. Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles have been beloved for decades, and this adaptation does them justice for a modern audience. Daisy Buchanan, writing in The Big Issue, agreed: “You’ll come for the escapism, but you’ll stay for the deeper themes.”
To put it another way: if there’s anyone who knew pleasure shouldn’t be guilty, it was Dame Jilly Cooper.
When and how can I watch Rivals season 2?
Rivals season 2 launches on Disney+ (Apps > Disney+) on Friday 15 May 2026 with a three-episode premiere. The series will roll out in two six-episode batches, with the second batch following later this year. Season 1 is all on Disney+ right now.
Virgin TV customers with Virgin TV 360 or our Stream box can watch Disney+ with an active Disney+ subscription. Disney+ is fully integrated into our 360 and Stream boxes, so you can find Rivals without even going into the app – just press Home on the remote, hit the Search icon and type in the name of the show. Or use voice search and just say “Rivals” to find it instantly.
Haven’t got Disney+ yet? You can add it in My Virgin Media under the Entertainment services section – it starts from £5.99 a month with no hidden costs and the ability to cancel any time. And if you’re new to Virgin Media, you can choose a broadband or TV bundle that includes a Disney+ subscription.
Please note that Disney+ isn’t available on TiVo® or V6 boxes – but it’s easy to upgrade to our latest Virgin TV box if you want to get in on the action.
Unrivalled TV shows on Virgin TV
Explore our amazing TV deals and never miss a moment of entertainment.
)
)
)
TV channels: Channels, content and features available depend on your chosen package. Channel line-ups and content are subject to change at any time and to regional variations.
HD: HD TV set, V HD Box, TiVo box or Virgin TV V6 connected with HDMI cables required for HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.
Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.
On Demand: Content available to view depends on TV package. Time limits apply for viewing chargeable On Demand content – see virginmedia.com. Once purchased, all chargeable On Demand content must be viewed within 48 hours. Premium channels and upgrades must be kept for at least 30 days.
Disney+: Disney+ subscription required at extra cost. 360 and Stream box customers only.
