Rivals Confirmed For A Third Season

Just a couple of weeks after that emotional rollercoaster of a mid-season finale for the second instalment of Rivals, Disney has announced that round three is on the cards. The delightfully camp Dame Jilly Cooper adaptation will return for 12 episodes – though we don’t yet know whether these will be split into two halves like series two.

This news doesn’t come as a huge surprise considering the colossal success of Rivals. First aired in 2024, the inaugural series was Disney’s biggest drama launch of the year and went on to scoop up Emmy and BAFTA awards. Part one of season two, meanwhile, garnered five-star reviews from critics, and became the biggest ever EMEA original premiere for the streaming platform in the UK and Ireland.

So what can we expect from series three?

Note: there are Rivals spoilers below.

Rivals Season 3: Everything We Know So Far

Plot

Based on the novel by Jilly Cooper, who sadly passed away in late 2025, Rivals is set in the 80s in the fictional county of Ruthshire (based on the real-life Cotswolds). At the centre of the story is the long-standing feud between ruthless TV executive Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and former Olympic showjumper-turned-politician Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell). But this is by far the only drama in the show: amid the upper-class social circles in which they live, a whole host of battles, love triangles, backstabbing and scandals unfold. 

Claire Rushbrook as Monica and David Tennant as Tony Baddingham in Rivals season 2. (Disney)

Season one sees Rupert teaming up with journalist Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) and tech mogul Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer) in an attempt to launch a rival company to Tony’s Corinium, Venturer. Meanwhile, romances blossom between Rupert and Declan’s daughter, Taggie (Bella Maclean), and Freddie and the unhappily married Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson). And when Tony finds out that his producer and mistress Cameron Cook has had a dalliance with his arch-nemesis Rupert, things get violent; a furious Tony slaps Cameron in their office, and Cameron retaliates by hitting him over the head with a TV award. The series ends with a dramatic cliffhanger as Tony bleeds on the floor.

However, Tony lives to see another day. Part one of season two sees the television franchise war intensifying as Venturer and Corinium go head-to-head – with Tony stopping at nothing to sabotage his rivals. Rupert and Cameron’s romance develops (though Taggie’s crush lingers), as does the compelling love story between fan favourites Freddie and Lizzie. And in one of the most shocking twists so far, Declan’s wife Maud cheats on him with Tony. Season six delivers one of the most emotional episodes of the show: after learning of Tony and Maud’s affair, Tony’s wife Lady Monica finally decides to leave him. But, in the final moments, we learn she has tragically died in a car crash during a storm.

Clare Rushbrook won’t return for part 2 after her character, Monica Baddingham, shockingly died in part 1. (Disney)

We’ll see the fallout of this in part two of season two, which drops this November, so at this stage it’s unclear what season three will bring. Disney has said, ‘As the dust settles post the scandalous revelations in season two, we see the stakes become higher and the alliances more fragile, with nothing staying buried for long. New romances blossom, old flames rekindle and shocking secrets will be spilled in this third series which takes everyone’s favourite rivalries to the next level. In a world of power, passion and betrayal, everyone has something to lose.’

Executive producer and chief creative officer of Happy Prince, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, and Alexander Lamb, creative director of Happy Prince, said: ‘We’ve been delighted and overwhelmed by the audience’s response to season two of Rivals – testament to the hard work from everyone working on Rivals both on and off screen.

‘Our one sadness is that Jilly didn’t get to witness the love for season two. But she’s still very much with us in spirit and would be so delighted that season three has been green lit. We’re so thrilled to continue to work with Disney as we dive deeper into the Rutshire Chronicles and expand the Cooperverse even further.’

Tensions are expected to reach a fever pitch as loyalties continue to be tested in Rivals Season 2 Part 2. (Disney)

Who Will Star?

Again, it’s too early to confirm which characters will star in season three. However, unless there are any more shock twists, it’s likely we’ll see faces including:

• Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black
• Aidan Turner as Declan O’Hara
• David Tennant as Tony Baddingham
• Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara 
• Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook
• Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker
• Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones
• Luke Pasqualino as Basil Baddingham
• Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton
• Victoria Smurfit as Maud O’Hara
• Oliver Chris as James Vereker

(Disney)

When Will Rivals Season 3 Be Released?

The release date for Rivals season three is yet to be confirmed. Season one premiered in October 2024, with the second dropping in May 2026, so with that in mind it’s likely we won’t see the third instalment until 2028.