Muddy Stilettos

Stop everything: Disney+ has just dropped the official trailer for Rivals season two, along with a batch of sneaky new stills &#8211; and honestly, we’re fanning ourselves like Rupert Campbell-Black at a trophy ceremony.



Our favourite Rutshire reprobates (Danny Dyer, Nafessa Williams, Aidan Turner, Alex Hassell, David Tennant, Bella Maclean and Lisa McGrillis) are back in action, and the trailer wastes no time reminding us why we missed them: glamour, rivalry, and, ahem, saucy behaviour are all still firmly on the menu. 



So if your mind also still rockets straight to Concorde’s cockpit every time Hassell appears (same), consider this your official warning: season two is shaping up to be even juicier than the first. Luckily, we don’t have long to wait &#8211; the first few episodes land on Fri 15 May.



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So, what exactly is the trailer hinting at? Glad you asked…(FYI spoilers ahead).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unanswered-questions-amp-possible-storylines">UNANSWERED QUESTIONS &amp; POSSIBLE STORYLINES</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1047" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DT061.jpg" alt="David Tennant Disney Rivals Season 2" class="wp-image-102691" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DT061.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DT061-600x419.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DT061-1000x698.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Season one’s cliffhangers left us gasping: Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) was left for dead… but the trailer confirms he’s still very much alive, and out for blood.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CameronCook_RivalsS2_Disney-2.jpg" alt="Rivals 2" class="wp-image-137329" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CameronCook_RivalsS2_Disney-2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CameronCook_RivalsS2_Disney-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CameronCook_RivalsS2_Disney-2-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Meanwhile, everyone’s favourite forbidden couple, Freddie (Danny Dyer) and Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson), finally slept together at the end of season one, and from the looks of the trailer, their affair is very much continuing &#8211; they’re seen in a dangerously close moment, about to kiss.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RIVALS2_ValentinesExclusive_Disney-.jpg" alt="Rivals 2" class="wp-image-137333" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RIVALS2_ValentinesExclusive_Disney-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RIVALS2_ValentinesExclusive_Disney--600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RIVALS2_ValentinesExclusive_Disney--1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



There&#8217;s also the matter of the slow burn romance between Rupert and Taggie O’Hara (Bella Maclean) who were seen getting cosy together, admitting their feelings, and even sharing a cheeky snog. Although, there&#8217;s the small issue of Rupert&#8217;s promise to Taggie’s Dad, Declan (Turner), that he&#8217;ll stay away. And by the looks of things he does, but not for long. Seriously though, will they really be able to resist each other? If you can Taggie, you&#8217;re a stronger soldier than us!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RupertAndTaggie_RivalsS2_Disney-1.jpg" alt="Rivals 2" class="wp-image-137332" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RupertAndTaggie_RivalsS2_Disney-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RupertAndTaggie_RivalsS2_Disney-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RupertAndTaggie_RivalsS2_Disney-1-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



We all know about the scandal involving Rupert which Declan was going to expose. Plot twist: he doesn&#8217;t. But when a document with the name &#8216;Perdita&#8217; crops up, it begs the question – who is Perdita? The answer lies in Rivals&#8217; sequel book Polo and only means one thing. More drama!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/R-105-00359.jpg" alt="Emily Atack Rivals Disney+" class="wp-image-111731" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/R-105-00359.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/R-105-00359-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/R-105-00359-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



You can&#8217;t talk about unanswered questions without addressing Sarah Stratton&#8217;s (Emily Atack) pregnancy. The father is a big unknown, although Sarah was seen to sleep with James (Oliver Chris), her husband (Rufus Jones) and Rupert throughout season one. But who&#8217;s the baby daddy? 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/R-104-01234.jpg" alt="Aidan Turner Declan O'Hara Rivals season 2" class="wp-image-102705" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/R-104-01234.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/R-104-01234-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/R-104-01234-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



In terms of other romances, the possibilities are endless. We&#8217;re totally here for a Declan and Cameron rendezvous – something Aidan Turner hasn&#8217;t ruled out. With Declan&#8217;s marriage to Maud (Victoria Smurfit) on the rocks, anything can happen, and we&#8217;re likely to see them sink or swim in season two. 



But really, when you’re dealing with this many tangled romances, betrayals and questionable decisions, the only safe assumption is: no one is behaving well, and it’s only going to get worse from here. Bring it on!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cast">THE CAST</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-2-1000x667.jpg" alt="Nafess Williams as Cameron Cook in Rivals 2" class="wp-image-127947" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-2.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Season two will see the return of the all-star ensemble that won the hearts of fans, critics (and Muddy) alike. Danny Dyer, Nafessa Williams, Aidan Turner, Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean and Lisa McGrillis are all slipping effortlessly back into their perfectly chaotic Rutshire personas, with the rest of the cast eagerly donning their Eighties finery once more.



Rutshire is also welcoming&nbsp;new faces. It was previously announced that&nbsp;Rupert Everett&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hayley Atwell&nbsp;have joined the cast in key roles – Atwell as&nbsp;Helen Gordon, Rupert’s ex-wife and mother of his daughters, and Everett as&nbsp;Malise Gordon, her new husband and Rupert’s former show-jumping coach. A dynamic ripe for drama? Absolutely.



Joining them are fresh additions Maxim Ays,&nbsp;Holly Cattle,&nbsp;Oliver Dench,&nbsp;Amanda Lawrence,&nbsp;Bobby Lockwood,&nbsp;Eliot Salt&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jonny Weldon, expanding the Rivals universe with even more star power. Season two is shaping up to be juicier, sharper and even more star-studded than the first.



And in case you missed it,&nbsp;Rivals 2&nbsp;has already generated its own mini-soap off-screen, thanks to a flurry of claims the cast’s downtime has been nearly as lively as their on-camera antics – think “boozy parties” and “too much fun” headlines. Whether it happened or not is anyone’s guess – but oh, to be a fly on that wall with a cocktail in hand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-was-it-filmed">WHERE WAS IT FILMED?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-1-1000x667.jpg" alt="Disney+ have released new images from filming of Rivals 2 - here is Rupert &amp; Taggie" class="wp-image-127938" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bella Maclean and Alex Hassell </figcaption></figure>



Rutshire maybe fictional but it&#8217;s based on the Cotswolds, with Gloucestershire and Wiltshire locations featuring heavily in season one, and we are expecting much of the same for the second. In fact, cameras have been spotted rolling on&nbsp;Corsham High Street, confirming that Wiltshire is once again playing a starring role in the&nbsp;Rivals&nbsp;universe.



One of the standout locations last season was the O’Haras’ breathtaking family home, filmed at&nbsp;Chavenage House&nbsp;in Tetbury. A star in its own right, not only was Chavenage House used in Poldark (a cosy homecoming for Aidan Turner), but owners Emma and James Lowsley-Williams have been delighting fans by documenting the thrills and spills of inheriting the sprawling Grade I Listed manor on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LifeAtTheManor_1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a> and we&#8217;re here for the BTS access.



Also in Tetbury is Cameron Cook&#8217;s (Nafessa Williams) house, which is the Grade II listed Berkeley House (a holiday rental if you fancy it). And over in Wilts, Tony Baddingham&#8217;s sprawling abode is none other than Neston Park, a privately owned stately home near Corsham which also featured in Persuasion and Larkrise to Candleford. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-everything-we-loved-about-last-season">EVERYTHING WE LOVED ABOUT LAST SEASON</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-3-1000x667.jpg" alt="Aidan Turner plays Declan O'Hara in Rivals 2" class="wp-image-127959" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-3-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-3-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Light-displays-3.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



From the soundtrack to the fashion, <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/back-stabbing-big-hair-and-bottoms-galore-disneys-rivals-has-landed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rivals</a> has taken us on a blast back to the Eighties – a full-on camp cocktail of scandal, shoulder pads, and all the romping you could ever dream of. BRB – still swooning over Aidan Turner&#8217;s ripped bod. With its mix of glamour and grit, the show became one of the most talked-about TV phenomena of 2024, earning plaudits for writing, production design and make-up, and nominations (and wins) across major awards – and landing nominations for stars such as David Tennant and Kate Parkinson. An absolute riot of a watch, getting critics and viewers alike hot under the collar. Phewww.



The action (we&#8217;ll put it that way) saw a star-studded affair, featuring the likes of David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer, although TV and theatre star <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/disney-plus-rivals-rupert-campbell-black-alex-hassell/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alex Hassell</a> didn&#8217;t take long to become everyone&#8217;s new favourite heart throb&nbsp;(errrrm, that tennis scene). 



The show is, of course, based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s deliciously bonkers Rutshire Chronicles – the woman who basically invented the art of glamorous mischief. Dame Jilly sadly passed away recently, but honestly? What a legacy to leave behind: big characters, bigger hair, and enough bedroom shenanigans to power an entire decade.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Disney-Rivals-David-Tennant.jpg" alt="Disney Rivals David Tennant with shotgun" class="wp-image-98660" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Disney-Rivals-David-Tennant.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Disney-Rivals-David-Tennant-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Disney-Rivals-David-Tennant-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



And the world she created absolutely lives on. At the heart of it all is the rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) – pure, unfiltered Eighties chaos wrapped in perfect tailoring. Season two looks set to honour Dame Jilly in the best possible way: by dialling the drama&nbsp;way&nbsp;up.



Rivals has been a roaring success, although if you&#8217;re anything like me, that ending practically had me on my knees, screaming at the TV. So thank the spice gods that season 2 is officially underway (not that we ever doubted it would be)! 



When season two was first confirmed, Dame Jilly Cooper reacted in the only way Dame Jilly could:&nbsp;“I’m orgasmic with excitement…”&nbsp;— a line so gloriously unfiltered it deserves its own BAFTA. With her recent passing, it feels even more quintessentially Jilly: naughty, joyful and completely unserious in the best possible way. And honestly? If the early sneak peeks are anything to go by, season two is shaping up to be exactly the kind of glorious chaos she’d cackle over.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-release-date">RELEASE DATE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Rivals-Disney-Plus-David-Tennant.jpg" alt="Rivals season 2 disney David Tennant as Tony Baddingham" class="wp-image-98663" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Rivals-Disney-Plus-David-Tennant.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Rivals-Disney-Plus-David-Tennant-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Rivals-Disney-Plus-David-Tennant-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



The&nbsp;new trailer&nbsp;gives fans their first proper glimpse at the drama, romance, and high-stakes chaos awaiting in Rutshire. And the countdown is on:&nbsp;season two officially lands on Disney+ on Fri 15 May 2026, kicking off the first of twelve episodes, split into two batches of six.



The only acceptable way to pass the time until then? Pass the remote – we’re going in for the re-binge.



Stream all episodes of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/series/rivals/4MoVqX2aLYpm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rivals on Disney+</a>&nbsp;now.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



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<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/everything-we-know-about-the-white-lotus-season-4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Everything we know about The White Lotus Season 4</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/heated-rivalry-is-this-the-hottest-and-most-uncomfortable-watch-on-tv-right-now/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘Heated Rivalry’: Is this the hottest (and most uncomfortable) watch on TV right now?</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/is-this-thing-on-film-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Is This Thing On? The John Bishop-Bradley Cooper collab no one saw coming</a></li>
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Buckle up! The Rivals Season 2 trailer has finally dropped

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