A GORGEOUS actress stumbles on to a TV set with smudged come-to-bed – or not-been-to-bed – eyeliner and tousled hair, still high on illegal drugs after a night of wild partying.
The director is quick to send her home, but the rest of the cast barely bat an eyelid — because this is nothing compared to some of the other raunchy shenanigans on this sexually charged show.
While this may sound just like a scene from Jilly Cooper’s smash-hit bonkbuster Rivals, we can reveal that it actually happened when the camera STOPPED rolling on the set of the second series of the Disney+ hit.
For, as filming in the Cotswolds wraps after six months, locals and TV insiders have reported that the action off set is far more outrageous than anything you will see on the show – with shameless lusting, booze benders and drug-taking.
In rollicking action the late author Jilly would be proud of, The Sun can divulge some of the scandalous secrets behind-the-scenes of Rivals, including:
- How one on-screen couple are VERY friendly off screen
- One actress is such a flirt, she was BEGGED to cool it by her male co-star for the sake of his marriage
- There were frequent COCAINE BREAKS in trailers
- The cast turned the local into their own private members club with nightly DRINK FESTS and dance-offs
Spilling the secrets, an insider said: “Life very much imitates art when it comes to Rivals – and then some.
“Jilly Cooper could only dream of such scandal!”
The adaptation of the 1988 bonkbuster last week won an International Emmy and was the toast of Britain’s awards season this year.
It tells the story of the rich and fabulous folk of fictional Rutshire, and revolves largely around Corinium Television’s Lord Tony Baddingham, played by David Tennant; his former employee Declan O’Hara, portrayed by Aidan Turner; and has the devilishly handsome Alex Hassell starring as MP Rupert Campbell-Black.
Sparks fly as Aidan and Rupert form a company to rival Tony’s.
But it’s most definitely not all business and no pleasure, with lashings of debauchery throughout.
Fans will recall the eye-popping scene in the first series, in which Rupert and Emily Atack’s character Sarah Stratton play tennis in the nude — which was nominated for most memorable moment at the Bafta TV awards.
Other actors to feature in the line-up include Danny Dyer as self-made millionaire Freddie Jones, Katherine Parkinson as his married lover, Lizzie Vereker, Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton and Charlotte Mangel as Nathalie Perrault.
One star was still so high, their eyes were totally wild so they had to send them home
A source
And while our lips are sealed as to who did what with whom, the 100-strong cast really did let loose on set.
A separate source said: “After filming wrapped for the day, everything was just as raunchy and chaotic as the show. If anything, it made Jilly’s plot look tame. There was lots of cocaine-taking in trailers. They’d live it up at all-nighters then go straight to set the next morning.
“One star was still so high, their eyes were totally wild so they had to send them home.”
And it wasn’t just the parties keeping cast members up all night.
Flirting was in overdrive, with some married cast members pushed to the brink.
Our insider said: “Someone absolutely fancied the pants off their on-screen lover and made no secret of it, always cracking sexy jokes and making compliments.
“They were together in her trailer all the time. As far as we know, nothing happened, but it would have taken some serious willpower.”
Another temptress proved to be too big a tease for some of the male cast, with one actor pleading with her to rein it in.
Our insider said: “This man basically told the woman she had to stop flirting because his marriage wouldn’t survive it — at least he showed some self-control!”
‘Full-blown affair’
It is no wonder the high jinks were high-octane though, with the amount of boozing going on.
There was lots of cocaine-taking in trailers. They’d live it up at all-nighters then go straight to set the next morning
A source
Insiders say the cast took over The Hare & Hounds in Tetbury like it was their own private members club, turning the cosy Cotswolds boozer into a nightly celebrity lock-in.
A local revealed: “It’s a great pub, and the whole cast and crew were crammed around the bar until the small hours. It was a proper country knees-up — every night.”
Snaps of bleary-eyed stars including Alex Hassell and Aidan Turner posing with a fan have appeared online.
Another beer garden snap showed Danny Dyer, Luke Pascalino — who plays Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham — and Alex Hassell sitting around a table littered with empty pint glasses and cigarette packets.
But it didn’t stop there. Another crew mole said: “When filming moved to Bristol, we set up camp in the Marriott hotel bar and it was the same as in Tetbury. They didn’t really seem to mind if other hotel guests were there.
“Someone even took pictures of Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit [Maud O’Hara] having a late-night dance-off in the middle of the bar. Danny was always the first to pipe up with, ‘Right, who’s up for a bevvy?’. And once he started, the rest followed.”
The whole cast returns for series two of Rivals, which follows the second half of Jilly Cooper’s novel. And viewers can expect plenty more raunchy action.
As well as tensions hotting up between Corinium and Aidan and Rupert’s Venturer TV company, a number of relationships are also sizzling.
It’s a great pub, and the whole cast and crew were crammed around the bar until the small hours. It was a proper country knees-up — every night
A local
Freddie and Lizzie are now enjoying a full-blown affair, with a string of raunchy scenes ahead.
Danny has teased: “It’s interesting how it pans out.
“But you’ll be shocked. It’s the threesome of all threesomes – perfect for this series.”
Rupert remains a flash womaniser, especially in one steamy scene featuring TV exec Cameron Cook, played by Nafessa Williams.
But the lothario finally falls hook, line and sinker for young Taggie O’Hara, played by Bella Maclean, with moments in Jilly’s plot including one where they steam up the windows of his sports car.
A set source said: “All the loose ends are tied up but naturally, as the romance plots evolve, there is more love-making than romping.
“Even though the storylines are a little more mature this time, directors were happy to turn a blind eye to the after-work antics, believing the boozy bonding helped the cast ‘gel’ for the cameras — a bit of method drinking, if you like.”
Series two of Rivals might be in the can, but by the sounds of it, the real show happened after hours.
