Rivals trailer teases fights, funerals and forbidden love in upcoming episodes

Tensions will continue to rise in Rivals when it returns for part two of its latest series with fights, funerals and forbidden love teased following its cliffhanger mid-season finale.

In a trailer released by Disney+ on Tuesday, Tennant’s ruthless TV boss Lord Tony Baddingham appears heartbroken after the first half of season two ended with the death of his wife Monica, played by Claire Rushbrook.

Monica told Teddy she wanted a divorce after he cheated on her, but she was then killed in a storm when her car collided with a tree.

“Your wife died in my arms. Broken by your games,” his rival Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) tells Lord Baddingham at what appears to be Monica’s funeral.

The TV mogul replies: “Well, she’s not here anymore. I’ve got nothing left to do but fight.”

The series is based on the novel by the late Dame Jilly Cooper and set in the Cotswolds in the 1980s, following the high-stakes world of British television as careers, marriages and reputations hang by a thread when professional and personal lives collide.

One of its key storylines sees Lord Baddingham on a mission to destroy the rival television company founded by Campbell-Black and Declan O’Hara (Aiden Turner), and the rivalry seems to escalate in the upcoming episodes.

Romantic tensions also continue to rise – as Campbell-Black is seen sharing many stolen glances and intimate moments with his love interest Taggie O’Hara (Bella MacLean).

Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black (Disney+/PA)

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The pair are seen exchanging unspoken words as Campbell-Black tells her he is leaving for Christmas, insisting: “I’ve got nothing to come back for.”

Elsewhere, Lord Baddingham appears to continue his affair with Declan’s estranged wife Maud (Victoria Smurfit) while Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer) also continues a romance outside his marriage, as his relationship with Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson) turns up a notch.

The couple are both trapped in unhappy marriages, and the trailer sees Freddie ask Lizzie if she wants him to stop sleeping with his wife.

Things seem to be growing more complicated between the pair as she responds: “I don’t think I can ask you that.”

Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones and Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker (Disney+/PA)

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Whitesnake’s hit 1980s track Here I Go Again plays as further scenes of longing, forbidden romances, and men playing polo show through the trailer, before Dyer’s character hints at the drama to come.

“Someone close to us can’t be trusted,” he says.

“There’s nowhere left to hide,” Declan adds, amid clips of characters including Sarah Stratton (Emily Atack) and Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) before Taggie is seen telling Rupert: “I need you to win.”

Rupert swears against love as Cook tells him if he continues as he is, he will “run out of hearts to break”, seemingly referencing their romance in recent episodes.

James Vereker, who is married to Lizzie but currently pursuing an affair with Stratton, is seen being punched by his mistress’ husband Paul (Rufus Jones) as the trailer reaches a climax.

David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham (Disney+/PA)

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Parties, polo, fireworks flash throughout the trailer and Taggie is seen looking cosy with Bas Baddingham, Luke Pasqualino’s character, while Declan can be heard saying: “Life is not all magic and fairy tales.”

The preview ends with Campbell-Black and Taggie appearing to exchange a longing look, as the former MP says: “Why can’t it be?”

Rivals season two will return on November 11 with a three-episode premiere on Disney+ in the UK and internationally, and on Hulu in the US.

The season, which received an extended run of 12 episodes, has enjoyed widespread acclaim from both critics and the public.

The show was renewed for a third season in June.

Dame Jilly was an active part of the show’s production, and served as an executive producer.

In October last year, during filming for the second series, she died unexpectedly aged 88 after suffering injuries from a fall at home.