Finally, an update on the raunchy Hulu drama Rivals season 2. The saucy adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel started filming in May 2025 after its December renewal. The 12-episode season 2 started filming a few weeks ago and is expected to premiere in 2026. It’s a long wait until we see Tony, Taggie, Rupert and co., but hopefully it will be worth the wait!
On May 21, Disney+ confirmed that the series had started filming with a series of behind the scenes photographs. The photos showed the cast in their 1980s costumes frolicking around the fictional Rutshire.
What to know about Rivals season 2 on Hulu
The television show follows the rivalry between TV studio owner Tony Baddingham and Olympic show jumper-turned-Tory politician Rupert Campbell-Black. Caught in the crossfire is an Irish TV presenter, Declan O’Hara, his wife Maude and his teenage daughters.
Executive Director of Scripted Content for Disney+ EMEA, Lee Mason's statement when the show was renewed for a second season: "It's a real privilege to have this phenomenal team back together for season 2 of Rivals." He also promised that audiences were in for an "absolute treat" at the upcoming series.
The author of the books the show is based on, Jilly Cooper, expressed her delight at seeing audiences "fall head over heels for her characters. "I’m delighted to be able to work with them again and for everyone to see what further mischief they all get up to!" Rivals was based on the second of Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles and focused on brooding politician Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell). The first series only covered the first half of the raunchy 1988 novel, so we imagine the second will finish up that book’s narrative.
The second season is expected to focus on Rupert’s relationship with Taggie. No spoilers for the books but expect big things to happen between those two! Last season, the couple shared a kiss and admitted their feelings for each other, although Rupert promised he would stay away due to the age gap. We’ll also learn what happened to Tony, he gets hit over the head by his mistress Cameron. We last see the television mogul lying on the floor of his office with a head wound. Will he survive? Well fans of the book know the answer but of course the show doesn’t totally line-up with
The series could also incorporate some of the third book in Cooper’s series, Polo! This book centers on polo player Ricky France-Lynch and Perdita MacLeod. If fans of the show remember, in the first series, Declan threatens to expose a scandal involving Rupert and a character called Perdita. We see this name written on a document, and readers of the novel will know exactly who she is. Expect to meet Perdita very soon in Rivals, but no spoilers here about her connection to the story.
Most of the cast from the first season of Rivals will return alongside Alex Hassell as Rupert and Bella Maclean as Taggie. Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer will also once again appear as Declan O’Hara and Freddie Jones. Katherine Parkinson, Emily Atack, and Lizzie Vereker will also appear. Expect new cast members to join the series, although they have yet to be announced by the showrunners and network.
As soon as we have an official date on Rivals season 2, we'll share it here. In the meantime, you can catch up on Rivals season 1, which is available to stream on Hulu.