This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Were you thrilled by the reaction to the first series?
We were all quite shocked. There’s something about Rivals that the world needs at the moment. It’s unapologetic. It’s not filtered. You don’t need trigger warnings. It’s just the eighties in all its glory. Freddie’s not like the other boys with their six-packs. He’s chubby and lovable and kind and friendly, and I adore playing him.
Do people ask you when Freddie and Lizzie are going to get together?
People have really taken to them. You don’t normally root for people having an affair, but they’re soul mates. Plus, Lizzie’s husband is a t***. Freddie and Lizzie should be together, but they didn’t meet at the right time.
Do you worry about doing sex scenes?
I just go with it, baby. I’ve been around a long time and it’s part of the job. It always feels a bit weird but you’ve got to laugh about it. I go full frontal in this series, if they keep it in the edit. It’s a night shoot, and it was cold, and I’d better not say any more. Nobody’s under any pressure to be naked if they don’t want to, but if a woman’s getting her breasts out, why shouldn’t I get it all out? I’ve got breasts as well, to be fair.
Have you told your family?
Yes, and my daughter’s asked for the time codes so she can skip that scene!
What are your memories of the eighties?
I was at school, looking up at the adults who were smoking and drinking and dancing with big shoulder pads. I grew up in a single parent family on a council estate so there wasn’t any glamour in my life.
You started working in television in the early nineties, not long after this period. Do you recall the intense rivalry or misogyny depicted in Rivals?
Not really, but my first ever job was Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren, a powerhouse of a woman. In fact, a lot of my first jobs were with very strong women.
Rivals is available to stream on Disney+. Season 2 premieres on Friday 15 May 2026. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month.
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