The executive producer of Rivals has revealed how Dame Jilly Cooper's sudden death during the making of season 2 impacted the cast and crew.
Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who collaborated closely with the late Dame Jilly, shared his feelings about the difficult time during an exclusive Disney+ Q&A screening of Rivals season 2.
Dame Jilly, who penned the best-selling novels that Rivals is adapted from, died from a head injury after a fall at her residence at the age of 88 on October 5, 2025.
When questioned about how Dame Jilly Cooper's death influenced the programme's future, Dominic confessed the tragic loss came as a 'shock' to everyone involved with the Disney+ series.
Speaking to The Mirror and other media outlets, he explained: 'Her death was a shock, which is a funny thing to say about someone in their 80s, but we were talking to her on the Thursday before she died at the weekend suddenly. And we keep talking about this series as a tribute to her.'
'Her fingerprints are all over it. She gave notes on the Thursday on episode 12 to me, and told me off for a sex scene I'd written. She said, "Dominic! You're so naughty, Dom!" I said, "Jilly, you wrote it all, I took it verbatim." And then she said, "I'm naughty then, aren't I?!"' He added fondly: 'She was incredible and our amazing friend who came to set and was there all the time, and was so clever and so wonderful.'
Dominic revealed that Dame Jilly had approved the script prior to her passing, noting they'd already mapped out plans for a third series 'and beyond'. This encompassed a potential adaptation of her novel The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous alongside other works from her catalogue.
'She's up there today and we all keep saying that she got to see Rivals 1, got to see Rivals 2, and got to see a whole lot of new fans of her books,' he continued emotionally. 'And you don't often get to do that, so this series is a tribute to her.'
The second series of Rivals returns to the drama-filled world of Rutshire, where television adversaries clash amidst the picturesque Cotswolds landscape, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Disney+'s official synopsis for series two confirms the 'vengeful return' of Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) who is 'on a mission to destroy Rupert Campbell-Black and Declan O'Hara's rival television company'.
The description states: '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 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 first three episodes of Rivals season 2 will air this Friday, May 15, on Disney+.
