Open the Pouilly Fume, get the Fernet Branca ready & let's talk Jilly's Rivals, season 2!

[TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack]

So exciting! It looks like maybe they are going to segue into Polo!

Fantastic casting for Helen and Malise although, wasn't it a different actress who played Helen in season 1?

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/hayley-atwell-rupert-everett-disney-rivals-season-2-guest-stars-1236493769/

For me, Charles Dance would be a great Malise. Other cast members have been announced but I'm not sure who is who.

Who will be Ricky? And Daisy? And Perdita? And Luke and Red?

Ooooh can’t wait!!!

Any speculation on who is playing Daisy or RFL from the list of new actors?

I like the Malise casting!

I thought the first series was excellent. Really stylish and great fun.

I know with the Jilly Cooper link they had a ready made fan base but I kind of wish they didn't make such a big deal out of it. Whilst I love her, I think it put a lot of men off watching it- and I think they would have enjoyed it too.

Helen was definitely a different actress. Her red hair is mentioned so much in the books so I really hope they keep that in.

Bit on the fence about Rupert as Malise, although I do generally like him. In my head Malise always looks either like David Niven or Alec Guinness in Bridge on the River Kwai.

Ok, here are some new cast additions, any guesses?

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a65829811/rivals-season-2-cast-additions/

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11009631/
Maxim Ays

Holly Cattle - maybe Francesca France-Lynch, latterly Mrs Bart Alderton?

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12264291/

Oliver Dench, Ricky maybe?
https://www.eamonnbedford.com/oliverdench/

Amanda Lawrence, Daisy? Although maybe she's a bit old for her, Daisy had Perdita when she was 19 and Perdita is 19 in Polo so Daisy is only in her 40s
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1054648/

Bobby Lockwood, Luke maybe?

www.imdb.com/name/nm1225475/

Eliot Salt, no idea. Maybe she's Daisy? Or Mrs Drew Benedict?

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10695425/

And Jonny Weldon. Maybe Ricky or Dancer Maitland?

https://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/talent/jonny-weldon/

I wish they'd announce who's playing which character.

I agree they'll change the Ricky storyline, the won't kill a child (Will France-Lynch), I wonder if they'll take Ricky in prison out of it as well and just make him and Chessie break up for other reasons?

She says he has to win the Westchester, go to 10 and one other thing and then she'll take him back, but I can't remember what it is!

Maxim shouts Red to me - but then who is Bart? And holly -Chessie?

agree that photo Eliot def could pull off Sukey and her kitchen supps.

Weldon has to be dancer doesn’t he?

Characters from Polo off the top of my head:

Ricky France-Lynch
Chessie France-Lynch
Perdita McLeod
Her two annoying half siblings
Her horrible stepfather, Hamish
His mother, Biddy McLeod
Drew Benedict, polo player and ex blues and royals, IIRC
His wife, Sukey, a terrible frump in a shirtwaister
Daisy McLeod, a pretty artist but hopeless housekeeper
Bart Alderton, rich as Croesus
His ex wife, can't remember her name
Bibi Alderton, his ballbreaker daughter
Luke Alderton, lovely man, loves ponies, puppies and Perdita
Red Alderton, bully but so handsome and amazing polo player
Seb & Dommie Carlisle, the twins, who are always collapsing with laughter
Dancer Maitland, famous rock star whose team is called Apocalypse
Rupert of course! And Taggie! But much more peripheral in Polo
Angel, the Argentinian polo player who is looking for revenge against Drew

I expect they'll leave that out because the Falklands was a long time ago now

SO EXCITING! I will probably wait for them all to be released and binge watch

Yes even if they just left in the drink driving - maybe they will as that’ll be more true to the time frame and still somewhat forgivable? That’s where I’d go…

Do you think Billy Lloyd Foxe will appear? Dominic Treadwell Collins has said they've created new characters (with Jilly's blessing) but I'm not sure why that would be necessary...I would've thought they'd be omitting characters not adding new ones!

i feel they’ll go nowhere near Riders and characters from that like Billy as too challenging. I trust them though they’ve done a good job of the spirit of it for me.

They seem to want to stay with TV - the Beattie J talk show thing. Wonder if that’ll be more of a factor , it’s a shame saint JC herself didn’t write more about the tv industry.

Was it the gold cup?

Yes! Quite expensive to shoot polo matches!! Maybe they’ll get a polo sponsor to sponsor it..

12 eps for series 2!

Here for all the Rivals chat, I absolutely loved season one. Can't wait for season two. Does anyone know if you can still watch season one on Disney?

Name changed in anticipation! Polo is my favourite but I hope they don’t skip too much of Rivals although there’s not that much of the story left.