Emily Atack led the glamorous arrivals at the premiere for Rivals series two, held at the BFI IMAX South Bank in London on Wednesday night. The actress, 36, who plays the racy Sarah Stratton, wowed in a plunging silver gown as she posed on the red carpet alongside her fellow leading ladies Victoria Smurfit and Bella Maclean.
Emily Atack's Stunning Appearance
Emily showcased her gorgeous curves in the structured silver number, which she paired with a matching bag. She hugged her on-screen husband Rufus Jones, who plays Paul Stratton, as they posed for photographs. The actress put on a confident display, radiating elegance and charm.
Star-Studded Cast Returns
Based on 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. The all-star cast, including David Tennant, Emily Atack, and Danny Dyer, is back for more raucous exploits in Rutshire.
Bella Maclean, who plays Agatha, wore a daring pink sheer dress as she posed with her on-screen love interest Alex Hassell, who plays lothario Rupert Campbell-Black. Danny Dyer, portraying Freddie Jones, posed with Katherine Parkinson, who plays Lizzie Vereker, with whom he enjoys a dalliance in the series.
Critical Acclaim for Series Two
Critics have heaped praise on Rivals series two, with a string of five-star reviews heralding its return to screens on Friday. Sarah Dempster of The Guardian gives the show five stars, musing, "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, declaring 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 of 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," singling out Emily Atack, 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 of the Financial Times is one of the few to not award five stars, giving the second series three instead. She writes, "Some of the storylines, particularly those about the TV industry, drag a little. 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 of 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. 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."
Behind the Scenes: Sex Scenes and Storylines
With the new series tipped to be the raciest yet, Rivals star Alex Hassell recently recalled the "physically unsexy" and "deeply uncomfortable" sex scenes in a new interview. He told The Times, "You're covered up where you need to be and there's padding between you. But it's a deeply unsexy environment and quite physically uncomfortable because I'm all oiled up and trying to hold Nafessa in place."
Danny Dyer, playing electronics businessman Freddie Jones, who is having an affair with romance author Lizzie Vereker, explained, "We're delving into the complications of two people who are madly in love but married with children to other people. There are a lot of people rooting for infidelity, which is quite rare."
Aidan Turner, who stars as TV journalist Declan O'Hara, described a steamy shower sex scene between the couple as "fun" to film, telling the Daily Mirror, "Victoria and I are very comfortable with each other. We've worked together quite intimately since the first series and we just clicked straight away – it might be the Irish thing."
Other Celebrity Arrivals
Victoria Smurfit, who plays Maud O'Hara, looked dazzling in a silk blue dress, while other celebrity arrivals included pregnant Laura Whitmore and Penny Lancaster. David Tennant, who plays Tony Baddingham, wore a quirky purple velvet suit. Fleur East sported a smart white suit, and Penny Lancaster wowed in a polka dot number with a fur coat. Annabel Scholey wore a bright pink number, and Ned Wolfgang Kelly held hands with his partner Hayley Atwell as they made a loved-up appearance.
Rivals returns on May 15 on Disney+.
