Rivals: The Official Podcast launched by Disney+ to accompany TV show

Disney+ has launched a companion podcast for Rivals, the show based on the novel by Dame Jilly Cooper.

The podcast features members of the cast and special guests in exclusive conversation with Pandora Sykes to accompany the eight-part television adaptation.

Set in 1980s England, Rivals follows the ruthless competition in British independent television of power struggles, ambition, and shocking social antics.

The podcast will offer a behind-the-scenes and binge-worthy experience with exclusive interviews and reflections from the cast, including Alex Hassell (Rupert Campbell-Black), Bella Maclean (Taggie O’Hara), Danny Dyer (Freddie Jones), Nafessa Williams (Cameron Cook), Emily Atack (Sarah Stratton), Gary Lamont (Charles Fairburn), and Lara Peake (Daysee Butler).

Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins describes Rivals as ‘deliciously naughty and provocative’, capturing the essence of the series.

Emily Atack dives into the flattering fashion of the 80s, while Danny Dyer discusses the playful flirting and sexual tension between his character Freddie Jones and Lizzie Vereker (played by Katherine Parkinson).

Commenting on their relationship Dyer says: “They both become quite childlike within their flirting and their sexual energy. They don’t quite know what to do, but they’re giddy around it.”

The podcast hears from Nafessa Williams (Cameron Cook) and writer Dare Aiyegbayo, who explore the complexities of race and representation in a predominantly white, male-dominated world, while Gary Lamont (Charles Fairburn) delves into the challenges of being a gay man in the 1980s.

The podcast is a brand-new format, created by producers, Listen, in partnership with Wondery.

Rivals: The Official Podcast is available across all podcast platforms.