Emily Atack Kisses Aidan Turner on Set!

planted a kiss on co-star Aidan Turner's cheek as she shared a slew of behind-the-scenes snaps from filming Rivals series two on Friday.

The actress, 36, who plays the promiscuous Sarah Stratton, gave fans a glimpse of her time on set and posted a sweet moment with Aidan, 42, who plays charismatic TV star Declan O'Hara.

She was also seen enjoying nights out at the pub with as well as posing with Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean and David Tennant.

In another shot she wore under eye patches as she got glam ahead of filming and pulled a pout. 

She penned in the caption of her post: 'Rivals . God I love these people with every inch of my soul.' 

It comes as Rivals viewers are in for a frustrating wait as the midseason finale concludes with a major cliffhanger.

Episode six of the second series dropped on Disney+ on Friday, with the racy shenanigans of the first batch of episodes swapped for an altogether darker storyline.

Set against the backdrop of hurricane weather, the series' main story thread of Tony Baddingham's (played by David Tennant) affair with Maud O'Hara (Victoria Smurfit), the wife of his nemesis Declan (Aidan), finally comes to a head.

As the stormy weather displaces key characters around the mansions and manors of Rutshire the episode ends with a shock death. 

The sixth episode concludes the first half of series two, with the show reportedly planning to drop its next batch of episodes in October.

Disney+ has yet to confirm when the final six episodes of the season will air, with just a 'late 2026' date teased, much to fans' frustrations.

'Rivals release schedule is terrible. they're gonna kill the momentum of the show and I doubt they will do a lot of promo during the break.'

'I would rather wait for a late summer release instead of waiting for 6 months between the two parts,' said one fan on social media.

Others have welcomed the decision to split the series though, with one viewer pointing out: 

'My unpopular opinion is that people are massively overreacting about the rivals season split. wdym people won't care? it ended on a cliffhanger last time and we were gagging for s2. 12 episodes is a lot for a british show — it's like getting two seasons in a year!' 

Ahead of the midseason break critics had declared that series two more than lives up to its opening run, with a string of five-star reviews heralding its return to screens last month.

Based on Dame Jilly Cooper's 1988 novel, the comedy-drama debuted on Disney+ in October 2024 and immediately became a huge hit. The eight-episode first series ended in December 2024 and was soon renewed for a second outing. 

Critics previewing the first four episodes unanimously praised the second outing.

Sarah Dempster for The Guardian gave the show five stars but mused 'how best to reward such exquisitely knowing escapism? Ten stars? Ten thousand stars? Rivals is beyond earthly praise'.

The Telegraph's Benji Wilson agreed with another five-star write-up, as he declared that 'Rivals continues to refresh the parts that other television cannot reach – a heady mix of guilty pleasure, trenchant satire, rambunctious comedy and out-and-out trash'.

Carol Midgley for The Times said 'despite its deliberate corniness, this is also gloriously uplifting television. It is unashamedly celebratory and perhaps even better than the last series'.

Den Of Geek's Lacy Baugher praised the show's 'sprawling cast' who 'remain thoroughly excellent throughout'.