- Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk
Disney+’s smash hit series Rivals has been rocked by scandal with reports of illegal activities occurring once the cameras stop rolling.
The 1980s set drama which stars David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Emily Atack is based on author Jilly Cooper’s ‘bonkbuster’ novel with filming on the second series currently underway.
But according to new reports, the action offscreen makes the show’s script ‘look tame’ with boozy all night parties and some members of the 100 strong cast and crew taking cocaine in their trailers between scenes. It is not suggested that this involved any of the main actors.
An insider also claimed that one actress was so flirty with a member of the crew, he begged her to stop for the sake of his marriage.
Filming took place in The Cotswolds, with cast and crew reportedly taking over The Hare & Hounds pub in Tetbury and making it their own private members’ club with a ‘knees-up, every night’.
‘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’.
Disney+’s smash hit series Rivals has been rocked by scandal with reports of illegal activities occurring once the cameras stop rolling
They told The Sun: ‘One star was still so high, their eyes were totally wild so they had to send them home’.
Daily Mail have contacted Disney for comment.
Earlier this year Disney+ confirmed that Rivals will return for a second series after its huge success last year – and they have treated fans to an extra four episodes.
The first series, which was eight episodes, became a huge hit and ended on a huge cliffhanger after David Tennant’s character Lord Tony Baddingham was left for dead.
Though the fate of Lord Baddingham appeared dire, it has now been confirmed that David will reprise his role in the upcoming second season in a major casting update.
The streaming service has also confirmed that they have already started filming again, with fans set to be treated to 12 new episodes.
Along with David’s return, Alex Hassell will reprise his role as Rupert Campbell-Black and Aidan Turner will once again star as Declan O’Hara.
Nafessa Williams will once again take on the role of Cameron Cook, while Bella Maclean will again play Taggie O’Hara and Emily Atack will return as Sarah Stratton.
According to new reports the action offscreen makes the show’s script ‘look tame’ with boozy all night parties and some members of the cast and crew taking cocaine between scenes
Filming took place in The Cotswolds, with cast and crew reportedly taking over The Hare & Hounds pub in Tetbury and making it their own private members’ club (pictured)
The likes of Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Claire Rushbrook, Catriona Chandler, Lisa McGrillis, Annabel Scholey and Luca Pacqalino will also be on the show.
Rivals fans previously begged Disney+ for a second series of the saucy show after binge watching all it’s eight episodes in a matter of days but were forced to wait months until the news was officially confirmed.
Author Jilly visited the set of Rivals just two days before her ‘sudden’ death, star Alex has revealed.
Dame Jilly died on October 5 aged 88, following a fall at her home in Bisley, Gloucestershire after the second season of Rivals had begun production.
Filming on series two resumed following the news of Jilly’s death, and in a new interview, Alex has shared that he and the cast hope this new run of episodes will be a fitting tribute to her.
Alex previously paid tribute to Jilly on Instagram following her death, thanking her for ‘changing his life’ by offering him the lead role in the series.
The star reflected on Jilly’s passing while promoting his new thriller Wasteman, which recently premiered at the BFI London Film Festival.
Alex told Metro: ‘We’re all devastated. She was on set just the week before and, obviously, her voice and her character and her sense of creativity were such a huge driving force of the show in terms of the source material.
‘She would okay everything, or we would hear that things have changed because she didn’t think that certain things characters do are quite right or representative of her view of the characters.’
