Emily Atack looks elegant while Nafessa Williams wears a satin corset as they lead the all-star cast of Rivals at a preview screening for series two

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Emily Atack and Nafessa Williams were among the stars at a London preview of the second series of ‘Rivals’ on Thursday, with Atack looking particularly stylish.

The 36-year-old actress, known for her role as the bold Sarah Stratton on television, wore a stylish satin top with black trousers.

She completed her outfit with gold-tipped stiletto heels and wore her hair up.

Emily was joined by her co-star Nafessa, 36, who looked incredible in a white satin corset. 

She completed her look with a pinstripe blazer and trousers, and finished it off with white strappy heels.

Rivals will return to Disney+ on May 15 with 12 new episodes which will be released in two parts. 

Oh my gosh, Emily was just talking about the kinds of roles she takes, and it’s so interesting! She was saying how she really likes playing characters who aren’t perfect, you know, ‘flawed’ women. And she was talking about this new show, ‘Rivals,’ which is coming out next month – apparently it’s pretty wild! She was reflecting on it all, and it just makes me love her even more that she isn’t afraid to play complex characters.

The actress plays Sarah Stratton, a character known for being flirtatious and mischievous, in the series. She appears alongside well-known actors like Danny Dyer, David Tennant, and Katherine Parkinson.

The Disney+ series, adapted from Jilly Cooper’s popular novel, quickly became a success after its release in 2024.

Oh my god, you will NOT believe what Emily just said! She totally ripped Sarah, Paul Stratton’s second wife, to shreds! Emily – you know, the one with that amazing tennis scene in season one? – called Sarah a complete and utter disaster. Seriously, an ‘absolute fing nightmare’ were her exact words! I knew Emily didn’t like her, but wow! I’m obsessed with everything Emily does, and this just proves she’s as awesome as I thought!

She explained to The Times that historically, people have been reluctant to relate to characters like Sarah because of her perceived sexual activity and mischievous behavior.

I love seeing characters that make people question who they’re supposed to be supporting. I’m really interested in playing complex, flawed women facing difficult situations.

Disney are said to be so confident it will do well that talks of a third series have already begun. 

The next season of the show will be adapted from Jilly’s 1991 novel, Polo, which is the third book in her Rutshire Chronicles series.

According to a source, the name of the next season is still undecided. It might keep the title ‘Rivals,’ change to ‘Polo,’ or be something completely different.

Disney is very confident that the second season will be as popular as the first, so they’ve already started planning the third.

Readers who enjoyed Rivals will be happy to hear that most of the same characters return in Polo. And this new book is just as passionate and romantic, possibly even more so, than the first!

Production on the third season might start later this year, with the episodes expected to be released in late 2027 or early 2028.

Daily Mail has contacted Disney+ for comment. 

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2026-04-30 23:18