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Four sordid details from the set of Rivals somehow make it sound even filthier than the show

Naked cartwheels and naked dancing? Do you see a theme here?

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Kieran Galpin
22nd May 2026, 20:50
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Rivals season two continues with the vibes of season one, and by that, I mean it’s unapologetically (and proudly) filthy.

For shows like Rivals, where nudity and s*x are so prominent, it’s important for the cast and crew to feel safe on set. Measures were put in place on Rivals to do just that, including ensuring that not everyone was huddled around the monitors watching people get naked, lead star Alex Hassell earlier confirmed.

That being said, numerous factoids prove Rivals is the naughtiest show on TV right now. Throw away your pearls, or you may be tempted to clutch them.

Prosthetics or no prosthetics, that is the question

Credit: Hulu
Credit: Hulu

Numerous stars from Rivals have literally bared all on screen, and literally no one is complaining. In the world of TV and film, prosthetics are often offered to protect a star’s dignity, but not everyone accepts them – even on Rivals.

Though Alex Hassell ultimately decided to show the world the real deal, he did go through the motions of selecting a prosthetic peen.

“In the book, Rupert is said to have a d*ck that could bat bread rolls across the room and while I am okay, I wouldn’t suggest that I could bat bread rolls across a room. And so they made some [prosthetic penises],” he told The Times.

“They had to be held up against my face to see if the colouring was right. The first question I was asked on my first day of filming, sitting in the make-up chair for the first time, was what colour my penis was, so they [the production team] could get on with making them.”

Danny Dyer, who ditched his kit in episode four, also opted to show the real thing in a bid to support his other naked-inclined co-stars.

“It’s a night shoot, and it was cold, and I’d better not say any more. Nobody’s under pressure to be naked if they don’t want to, but if a woman’s getting her breasts out, why shouldn’t I get it all out? I’ve got breasts as well, to be fair,” he revealed ahead of the series launch.

Erm, naked dance parties?

@huffpostuk

Happy Rivals season 2 day! Did you know that Alex Hassell makes the entire cast watch his naked interpretative dance to get into character as Rupert Campbell-Black? #rivals #rivals2 #alexhassell #bellamaclean #interview

♬ original sound – HuffPost UK

In an interview with Huffington Post, Bella Maclean said that Alex Hassell had a unique approach to slipping back into his Rupert-shaped skin.

“He does a 20-minute interpretive dance in the makeup trailer and we all have to watch him,” she said, adding “swinging his d*ck around willy nilly.”

Two intimacy coordinators were needed

Though it’s not exactly the sexiest term in the world, intimacy coordinators are crucial for ensuring safety on set. For Rivals season one, they hired two!

“We have so much sex on our show, we have to have two intimacy coaches. Two!” Aidan Turner joked.

Danny Dyer later joked that they’d hired “every intimacy coach in the land.”

Nudity was prevalent on set

Credit: Hulu
Credit: Hulu

With so many naked scenes, cast members on Rivals are intimately familiar with one another’s bodies. But it wasn’t always like that, so in season one, Alex Hassell did some nude acrobatics to break the ice.

“He broke the ice by doing a ­cartwheel naked across the tennis court,” Bella recalled in an interview with The Sun. “It was amazing because everyone suddenly relaxed and had a really good time — and it wasn’t very ­precious. It was fun and really light.”

In the same interview, she called her co-stars “naughty”, confessing, “that’s the word we keep using.”

Honestly? The Rivals set sounds lit.

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Featured image credit: Hulu