Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett are joining the cast of Rivals for season 2, and their arrival looks set to complicate Rupert’s life just as the series returns to Disney+ on Friday 15 May 2026.
Atwell plays Helen Gordon, Rupert’s ex-wife, while Everett takes on the role of Malice, Rupert’s former showjumping mentor who is now married to Helen. Alex Hassell said both characters have “really strong, fairly negative feelings” toward Rupert, but also some protectiveness, setting up a family dynamic that is equal parts resentment and concern.
Hassell said Rupert has hurt their feelings “many, many times” and suggested they are near the end of their tether. He also said Rupert’s children are part of the season 2 story, adding another layer to a character already being pulled in several directions at once. That matters because Rivals ended its first season with Rupert and Taggie confessing their feelings for each other and kissing, leaving Rupert’s personal life in an even messier place than before.
The new season returns viewers to Rutshire, where the fight for the Central South West television franchise continues between Corinium and Venturer. Rupert and Declan helm the new franchise, Venturer, while the season 2 synopsis says Tony Baddingham is determined to dismantle his rivals piece by piece.
Rupert, described as one of the most desirable men in Rutshire, has already moved from wooing women as a showjumper into a new political career, and the fresh casting suggests season 2 will lean harder into the fallout from that reinvention. Hassell said Rupert is trying to confront past mistakes and reckon with them, and perhaps atone for them, but he added that it is not a straight path. That leaves the series with a clear dramatic engine: Rupert is not just facing enemies in business and politics, but people who know him well enough to wound him where it hurts most.
Rivals season 2 premieres on Friday 15 May 2026 and will be available to stream on Disney+, which lists the service at £5.99 a month.
