Danny Dyer teases Rivals series two will be even raunchier
Danny Dyer has revealed he filmed even more sex scenes for series two of Rivals.
Danny Dyer will have more sex scenes in Rivals series two.
The 48-year-old actor will return as electronics businessman Freddie Jones - who is married to social climber Valerie (Lisa McGrillis), but strikes up a relationship with romance novelist Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson) - in the even raunchier Disney+ comedy-drama from May 15.
Danny and his 29-year-old daughter, Dani Dyer, appear on the February 21 episode of ITV's The Jonathan Ross Show, and she squirmed after Danny told her: "I don’t think you’ll be able to watch much of it!"
Danny - who has recently wrapped shooting season two of Rivals - added: "There was a scene on the last series … The love-making, I don’t watch. The last one there wasn’t that much."
Rivals - based on the late Dame Jilly Cooper's 1988 raunchy novel of the same name - follows the fierce power struggle for a regional TV franchise in the Cotswolds, between Tory minister Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and the ruthless managing director of Corinium Television, Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).
In January 2025, meanwhile, Danny shared his delight that "kind" Freddie was well-received by viewers - despite the belief the role had disproved his "hard man" image.
Asked if he expected fans to have a strong reaction to Freddie, Danny told the Metro newspaper's 60 Seconds column: "No! It's a revelation. And it was all last-minute dotcom. I couldn't do it originally.
"(Producer) Dominic Treadwell-Collins is my very close friend and somebody I've worked with on EastEnders.
"I've been sort of labelled as a hard man. It's all b******* really, I think it's because I swear a lot and walk in a certain way, but actually, I'm a very sensitive man, a feminist, I'd like to think.
"But Dominic brought in my character, Mick Carter, to EastEnders, who's this alpha male wearing the pink dressing gown. He just knew I'd be perfect for Fred."
Danny - who did not have time to read the script, but knew it would be good because Dominic, 48, was involved - was thrilled that his idea to make "kindness sexy" went down a storm with Rivals' viewers.
The actor said: "I started to find out who Freddie was. Obviously, it's also got Rupert Campbell-Black, who is, like, the sexiest man alive, this very posh Tory again, even though that doesn't sound sexy.
"But I wanted to try and make kindness sexy. A kind man who sees women for what they are. And it actually f****** worked.
"With Rivals, people fell for the kind man and went, 'Oh, my God, I want a Fred in my life.'"
As well as Danny, Rivals also stars the likes of Emily Atack (Sarah Stratton), Aidan Turner (Declan O'Hara) and Nafessa Williams (Cameron Cook).
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday (21.02.26) at 9.25pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
