The beloved Disney+ show recently returned to screens with a super-sized season two and a total of 12 episodes for audiences to get their teeth stuck into.
The new series of Rivals picked up straight off the back of the last outing as Tony Baddingham (played by David Tennant) planned to exact revenge on his Venturer TV rivals Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Declan O’ Hara (Aidan Turner).
Season two also brought into the fold some new faces in the form of Maxim Ays from The Larkins and Sanditon as Sebbie Carlisle and Wolfblood actor Bobby Lockwood portraying Dommie Carlisle.
Meanwhile, Marvel’s Agent Carter and Heartstopper star Hayley Atwell took on the part of the MP’s ex-wife and mother to his two children, Helen Gordon.
But what about her husband Malise Gordon, who was also Campbell-Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor?
Here’s the lowdown on the star playing Malise in Rivals season two.
Who plays Malise in Rivals?
Malise is played by Hollywood star Rupert Everett, who is perhaps best known for 90s romcom My Best Friend’s Wedding alongside Julia Roberts and period drama An Ideal Husband.
With a career dating back to the 80s, Everett has had roles across film and TV and various genres.
Some of his previous projects include BBC ’s The Musketeers in which he starred opposite Rivals star Luke Pasqualino, The Happy Prince, Parade’s End, My Policeman, Everybody Loves Diamond, and The Serpent Queen.
Some of his more recent roles have included appearing in Nicola Coughlan ’s Channel 4 series Big Mood, Netflix ’s Emily in Paris and Madfabulous.
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According to IMDb, Everett will be appeared in The Liar, The Resurrection of the Christ parts 2 and two and Out Late.
Speaking to the Radio Times about the dynamic between Campbell-Black and the Gordons, star Hassell teased that the couple had “really strong, fairly negative feelings” about the amorous politician and former Olympian.
Despite this, the pair were also “protective” towards Campbell-Black even though he had “really really hurt” them endlessly and they were “at the end of their tether”.
Rivals has made a comeback and so has Lord Tony Baddingham.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
18:11, 15 May 2026
Rivals Season 2 official trailer on Hulu
Rivals Season 2 is here with stars teasing that it’s “even better” than before.
Fans couldn’t help but fall in love with the adaptation of late author Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles series back in 2024 and thankfully, it’s back for more.
First time around, fans got absorbed into the ruthless battle between ex-Olympian Rupert Campbell-Black (played by Alex Hassell) and media mogul Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).
After plenty of scandal, the 1980s comedy-drama returns and so does Baddingham as he seeks to get his revenge against Rupert and his former employee Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner).
But what does he intend to do to bring them and their rival television company Venturer to the ground?
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Disney+ is offering a discounted subscription at £3.99 per month for three months when signing up by May 6. This provides cheaper access to hit series like Rivals, Only Murders in the Building and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.
Where to watch Rivals TV series in the UK
Rivals will be returning to its UK home on Disney Plus for Season 2 where all 12 episodes of the new series will become available.
The lowest price subscription for the streamer is £5.99 per month with adverts, followed by £9.99 for the standard ad-free plan.
Then there is the premium £14.99 per month subscription package which promises ad-free streamer and “top-tier audio/visual quality and offline viewing capabilities”.
As well as Rivals, Disney Plus is also home to an extensive library of other hit shows including The Bear, Grey’s Anatomy, Love Story and The Mandalorian, just to name a few.
So far, only the first three episodes of Rivals Season 2 are currently available to watch on Disney Plus. After this, the next three instalments are going to be released every Friday so episode four will be out on Friday, May 22.
However, as of yet, there is no official release date for the second half of Season 2 which will consist of a further six episodes. The streamer has only revealed that Rivals will be back sometime later this year.
Teasing what fans can expect from the new season, actress Victoria Smurfit said on Lorraine: “We shot 12 episodes, so it meant we could get deeper into the characters.
“We could get funnier, more outrageous, more heartfelt, more love – it’s really juicy, and it’s even better, if that’s possible.”
Rivals season two continues to air every Friday on Disney Plus.
Two years after Rivals exploded onto our screens, the raunchy Disney Plus drama is back for more with the first three episodes of Rivals dropping today, Friday, May 15.
As fans eagerly await for the rest of the series to become available, many are only just discovering This Morning star Dermot O’Leary has a close tie with the 1980s phenomenon.
He is married to Norwegian-British television and film producer and director Dee Koppang O’Leary who has worked behind the scenes on both seasons of Rivals.
She is also well known for her work on other major shows such as The Split, Bridgerton and The Crown, just to name a few.
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Disney+ is offering a discounted subscription at £3.99 per month for three months when signing up by May 6. This provides cheaper access to hit series like Rivals, Only Murders in the Building and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.
Dermot and Dee have been married since September 2012, having met at a TV production company where they were both working. They dated for nine years before getting engaged in New York in 2011 and married the following year.
The pair now share one son together, Kasper, who was born in June 2020. While the famous couple tend to keep their marriage out of the spotlight, Dermot did show his support on Rivals season two by hosting an “in conversation” event with its cast and producers earlier this month.
Following the success of the first series, Dermot also posted that he was “proud as punch” of his wife after winning two Broadcast Awards.
Dermot previously spoke to Fabulous magazine about the secret to having a happy marriage.
“We don’t have the recipe, but it’s going well.
“It’s a work in progress, isn’t it? The key for me is giving each other space, not giving each other a hard time and actually having fun together. And we do.”
He added: “It’s about the neighbourhood you live in.
“If you embrace the greengrocers, the local store, the dry cleaners, you just become a face and part of a community. And that’s how you have a normal life.”
Rivals Season 2 will continue to air weekly every Friday on Disney Plus.
Disney+’s Rivals is back for a second series, with a string of new faces joining the cast of the hit British comedy-drama
Rivals Season 2 official trailer on Hulu
Rutshire is set to welcome fresh faces for Rivals season two, with some recognisable stars joining the fray.
Disney+ is set to launch the second instalment of its hugely successful British comedy drama Rivals tomorrow (Friday, May 15), reports Somerset Live.
The streaming service will release the opening three episodes simultaneously, plunging viewers back into the flamboyant realm of 1980s regional television, complete with its big hair and eye-watering fashion choices.
Disney+ has teased the upcoming series with this synopsis: “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?”
Alongside the new plot developments, several fresh performers are entering the mix. Here’s your guide to the latest additions and their previous work.
Who is in the cast of Rivals season 2?
Helen Gordon – Hayley Atwell
English-American star Hayley Atwell portrays Rupert Campbell-Black’s (Alex Hassell) former wife and mother to his two children.
Atwell has made her mark playing Peggy Carter in Marvel’s Agent Carter series and various Marvel blockbusters, alongside appearances in the Mission: Impossible franchise with Tom Cruise and Netflix’s Heartstopper.
Malise Gordon – Rupert Everett
Acclaimed actor Rupert Everett takes on the part of Helen’s new husband Malise Gordon, who previously served as Campbell-Black’s show-jumping coach and mentor.
Everett boasts an extensive career dating back to the 1980s, with memorable performances in My Best Friend’s Wedding alongside Julia Roberts, An Ideal Husband, Napoleon, My Policeman, and The Serpent Queen.
Sebbie Carlisle – Maxim Ays
Emerging talent Maxim Ays brings Sebbie Carlisle to life in the latest series, having previously appeared in The Larkins, Sanditon, Boarders and Still So Awkward.
His television credits also include Doctor Who, Grantchester and Truth and Treason.
Dommie Carlisle – Bobby Lockwood
Completing the fresh additions is Bobby Lockwood as Dommie Carlisle, with the actor’s previous work including Wolfblood, Here We Go, Casualty, The Tower and Tell Me Everything.
He’s also shared screen time with Rivals colleague Emily Atack on The Emily Atack Show, while making brief appearances in The Diplomat, Grantchester, ITV’s Grace, and Dunkirk.
Rivals season 2 returning cast in full The second series of Rivals will welcome back its expansive ensemble, with Good Omens’ David Tennant reprising his role as the scheming Lord Tony Baddingham, His Dark Materials’ Alex Hassell as former Olympian-turned-Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black, and Poldark’s Aidan Turner as ex-BBC journalist Declan O’Hara.
Bloodlands’ Victoria Smurfit will return as Declan’s actress wife Maud O’Hara, joined by Black Lightning’s Nafessa Williams as TV executive Cameron Cook, and The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson as Rutshire’s romance novelist Lizzie Vereker.
Additional cast members include Sex Education’s Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara, EastEnders legend Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, Sherwood’s Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham, The Crown’s Oliver Chris as James Vereker, ITV’s Maternal’s Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones, The Inbetweeners’ Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, and W1A’s Rufus Jones as her husband Paul Stratton.
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Completing the impressive roster are The Musketeers’ Luca Pasqualino as Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham, Wild Cherry’s Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O’Hara, The Split’s Annabel Scholey as Beattie Johnson, Outlander’s Gary Lamont as Charles Fairburn, Wolf Hall’s Hubert Burton as Gerald Middleton, The Winter King’s Gabriel Tierney as Patrick O’Hara, How To Have Sex’s Lara Peake as Daysee Butler, and Call The Midwife’s Bryony Hannah as Dierdre Kilpatrick.
Rivals season 2 launches on Disney+ tomorrow and airs weekly on Fridays
The next episode of The Testaments will dive into Agnes’ wedding plans, but when will it be available to stream on Disney Plus?
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The Testaments fans can start the countdown for Episode 8.
With seven episodes available to stream on Disney+, The Handmaid’s Tale sequel already has viewers hooked. It follows June Osborne’s (played by Elisabeth Moss) teenage daughter Agnes (Chase Infiniti), as she climbs the ranks at Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) prep school for wives.
Agnes spends her childhood believing in Gilead’s oppressive system, but everything changes when new student Daisy (Lucy Halliday) joins the school. The pair’s bond changes their lives.
The last two episodes have explored Lydia’s dark past, as well as how Daisy was recruited by Mayday to spy on Gilead. The girls have also found their matches, and Agnes is set to start wedding planning in the next instalment. But when can viewers tune in?
When does The Testaments Episode 8 come out?
Episode 8 of The Testaments will be released on Wednesday, May 13. As always, it will be available to stream on Disney+ for UK and international viewers, while U.S. fans can watch the show on Hulu.
A synopsis for the episode teases: “As Agnes is swept up in wedding plans, Daisy hides a life-altering secret and Hulda faces backlash after speaking out.”
A Disney+ subscription now starts at £5.99 and includes hit series like The Testaments, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.
While the Margaret Atwood adaptation had a relatively slow start, it has ramped up the action over the last few episodes.
Episode 6 featured a particularly chilling scene where Aunt Lydia and Vidala (Mabel Li) were forced to watch Gilead soldiers execute dozens of women.
It turns out producers cut an even more harrowing scene from that episode.
“There was a scene where the women shoot other women,” director Jet Wilkinson told CBR. “There was a whole scene when [the soldiers] bring out the women, they give them guns, and then they hold guns to the women’s heads.
“It was very confronting. We ended up cutting that scene, but there is someone at the end of the line, a woman shooting as well as Aunt Lydia at that time. [They’re] forced to do these brutal acts.”
We focus on the story of Agnes (played by Chase Infiniti), the biological daughter of Handmaid’s Tale main character June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss). She grows up in Gilead completely content with the brutal system, but her life is turned upside down when new resident Daisy (Lucy Halliday) joins Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) school for wives.
Although she seems like just another student, Daisy is secretly a spy working with June and Mayday agents to overthrow Gilead.
Viewers have also been introduced to the Aunts responsible for educating the young women. But what’s the story behind their unusual names?
How do Aunts in The Testaments get their names?
The Aunts in The Testaments are named after commercial products that were popular among women in the pre-Gilead era.
It’s revealed in Margaret Atwood’s novels that the founding commanders introduced this tradition in an attempt to ease the transition into Gilead.
Each Aunt picks their name from a list of product names that are “familiar and reassuring” to them. These include the “names of cosmetic lines, cake mixes, frozen desserts, and even medicinal remedies”.
This is why the Aunts have unique names such as Aunt Estee (Eva Foote), seemingly named after Estee Lauder, or Aunt Gabbana (Zarrin Darnell-Martin), derived from Dolce and Gabbana.
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*Warning: Mild spoilers for The Testaments novel.*
But these brand names only hold meaning to the older generations living in Gilead. In The Testaments novel, main character Becka (Mattea Conforti) becomes an Aunt. She later learns about the “approved list” of names she can choose from for her new role.
Atwood writes: “Becka said the names were made from the names of products women had liked once and would be reassured by, but she herself did not know what those products were. Nobody our age knew, she said.”
Since Becka and Agnes have been raised in Gilead, they don’t have the same connection to the gender-specific brand names.
The sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale focuses on the young teens of Gilead
The Testaments teased in trailer from Disney+
The Testaments couldn’t have come at a more depressingly relevant time given the state of the world.
From the reversal of the historic Roe vs Wade ruling in America, to the erosion of women’s bodily autonomy across the world, to Incel culture via Andrew Tate and the Manosphere, to the continuing unfolding horrors emerging from the Epstein Files, being a woman in 2026 has never been a more frightening prospect.
That’s why I believe Disney+ and Hulu drama The Testaments should be compulsory viewing in all schools and serves as a warning that if we don’t try to change things now, all hope could be lost forever.
The series is adapted from Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s Booker Prize-winning 2019 novel The Testaments, which itself was a sequel to her seminal 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale.
The follow-up novel came about thanks to the success of Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale starring Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss in the title role. The original series first hit screens in 2017 – not long after Brexit and newly elected President Trump’s first term in office – and instantly captured the zeitgeist thanks to its dystopian, Black Mirror take on the world.
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A Disney+ subscription now starts at £5.99 and includes hit series like The Testaments, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Bear, plus countless titles from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more.
Atwood has previously said how The Handmaid’s Tale was originally based on things that had already happened across history and were still happening, however, since she published her novel over 40 years ago, it appears those times have become a disturbing and tangible new reality for us.
The Testaments TV show follows a group of teenage girls from the upper echelons of Gilead society preparing to become Wives to Commanders, many of whom are much older than them. Their destined husbands are determined by the Aunts in a series of arranged marriages to ensure there isn’t any accidental incest, given the use of Handmaids and babies getting handed over to Gilead’s finest families.
The girls known as ‘Plums’ – thanks to the Cadbury shade of purple they wear – are forbidden from reading or writing at the risk of losing a finger; their sex education is non-existent; they witness Gilead’s harsh brand of Old Testament justice; and they are constantly warned not to tempt men, who apparently can’t control their urges.
Amid the Plums is Pearl Girl Daisy (played by Lucy Halliday), a Canadian teen from Toronto posing as a Gilead convert after she’s sent into Gilead by the resistance movement Mayday. Street-wise and sex-savvy, Daisy serves as the audience’s perspective in the show as she challenges the Plums in the face of the regime’s fallacies.
While the drama isn’t as dark as its predecessor, The Testaments delves into issues of consent and sexual abuse in a more age-appropriate way. The Testaments shows why we all need to be educated about sex and making informed choices about our bodies.
The Testaments is also one of the few shows to feature periods and menstruation so prominently. Gilead celebrates menstruation as a sign of fertility to the point that the Plums ring a bell heralding the news and then embark on a catwalk of sorts while their fellow pupils cheer them on. Not since reading Judy Blume have I seen so much discussed about periods, if only there were more positive depictions of period in media.
Sadly, it’s a double-edged sword for the girls as it means it’s now time for them to find a husband as they essentially become child brides. Again, this complexity is intriguing and one that feeds into grooming teens – the way the Commanders eye up Agnes MacKenzie (Chase Infiniti) as a potential bride-to-be when she greets her father during a meeting is chilling.
But amid all the bleak dystopian misogyny, hope springs: Daisy is trying to stoke a fire from within Gilead and give the Plums agency. It’s this message that’s so important: you may be a teenage girl but you still have the power to shape the world and make your voice heard.
I’ve always believed that TV has the power to change things for the better in this world. If you can see it, then you can be it. Whether it’s onscreen representation from the likes of Netflix’s Heartstopper depicting blossoming queer love, to soaps brilliantly covering a myriad of topics from domestic violence and stillbirth, to Adolescence, which led to discussions in Parliament about male radicalisation. Meanwhile, a whole generation of women pursued STEM careers thanks to Gillian Anderson’s iconic performance as medical doctor and scientist, FBI agent Dana Scully in The X-Files.
If The Handmaid’s Tale was sounding the alarm for my generation, then The Testaments is the wake-up call for this generation. The future of the world is in your hands, and you have the chance to change it right now.
The Testaments airs weekly on Hulu and Disney+ on Wednesdays
