Emily Atack Embraces Flawed Characters in Raunchy Series

has reflected on playing 'flawed' women ahead of the raunchy new series of Rivals being released next month.

The actress, 36, takes on the role of 'promiscuous and naughty' Sarah Stratton in the series which also stars the likes of Dany Dyer, David Tennant and Katherine Parkinson.

The Disney+ project, based on Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name, became an instant hit when it debuted in 2024. 

In a new interview Emily - whose naked tennis scene was one of the most memorable parts of series one - described Sarah (the second wife of MP Paul Stratton) as 'an absolute f***ing nightmare'.

She told The Times: 'People in the past never wanted to admit that they identify with characters like Sarah as she's promiscuous and naughty. 

'Now, characters like her, people are going, 'Why am I rooting for them?' I'm all for that. I want to play a flawed woman in a right bl**dy pickle.' 

Elsewhere in a chat with the newspaper Victoria Smurfit discussed the series' many sex scenes.

She plays Maud O'Hara, the wife of Aidan Turner's TV presenter character Declan, and said: 'My 17-year-old son on no planet is going to watch this!'

The second series is due to air in May and Disney are said to be so confident it will do well that talks of a third series have already begun. 

The third instalment of the show would be based on Jilly's 1991 novel Polo, the third book in her Rutshire Chronicles.

A source told The Sun: 'It's not clear yet if the next series will still be called Rivals or flip to become Polo, or perhaps another title altogether.

'Either way, Disney are so confident the second series will be as well received as the debut season they already have wheels in motion on the third.

'Fans will be delighted to know that almost all the characters in Rivals also appear in Polo - and the follow-up novel is just as steamy as its predecessor, if not more so.'

Filming for the third series could begin later this year and would likely air in late 2027 or early 2028.

Daily Mail has contacted Disney+ for comment. 

It comes after Rivals star Katherine Parkinson shared the cast's devastated reaction to the death of Dame Jilly Cooper midway through filming.

Dame Jilly had been heavily involved in the production of the series, including overseeing the writing of the scripts, and joining the cast of the big-budget 80s show on set.

Speaking to Daily Mail at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards, she added that the cast hope the second series will 'do Jilly justice.'

Ms Parkinson said: 'It was a real shock. Obviously she was, whatever age she was, it was a real shock and everyone was really quite stunned by it.

'But I think that we just want the show to do her justice even more than before, and I think it will, and we've got 12 episodes, and I'm really excited for you all to see.'

In February, Disney dropped a first look at the hotly-anticipated second series.