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Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, a retired Olympian show jumper, notorious womaniser, and a Tory MP and sports minister. Despite his outward charm and facility with people, he lives a lonely life with his many dogs. Rupert joins Venturer with Declan and Freddie and develops feelings for Agatha (Taggie). In series 2, he retires as an MP and minister, and is in a relationship with Cameron, further complicating his feelings for Taggie.

Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, an American TV producer from New York who works for Corinium and has an affair with Tony during series 1. In series 2, she is in a relationship with Rupert.

Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, the second wife and former mistress of Conservative MP Paul Stratton, with aspirations of being a television presenter.

Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O'Hara, Declan and Maud's youngest child who is attending boarding school.

Oliver Chris as James Vereker, a TV host and actor at Corinium and Lizzie's self-absorbed husband.

Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, a self-made successful electronics businessman and resident in Rutshire in a loveless marriage. He is attracted to Lizzie.

Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton, a Conservative MP going through a mid-life crisis who is embroiled in an adultery scandal at the beginning of the series.

Bella Maclean as Agatha "Taggie" O'Hara, Declan and Maud's overlooked middle child with aspirations of opening her own catering company. She has several poor first impressions of Rupert, but gradually develops a crush on him as they spend more time together.

Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones, Freddie's wife, a notorious social climber who runs a clothing boutique in town. She is often mocked for her bourgeois lack of taste.

Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker, a romance author and resident of Rutshire who is good friends with Rupert. She is neglected by her narcissistic husband and is used to his affairs and lack of attention. She gradually develops a romantic connection with Freddie.

Luke Pasqualino as Basil "Bas" Baddingham, Tony's younger and promiscuous half-brother who owns the local pub.

Claire Rushbrook as Monica, Lady Baddingham, Tony's wife, an introvert generally uninvested in her husband's business.

Annabel Scholey as Beattie Johnson, a journalist who is in a relationship with Rupert at the beginning of the series.

Victoria Smurfit as Maud O'Hara, Declan's wife, an actress whose marriage is recovering from an affair she had prior to the series, and is known to be flirtatious with other men. She is neglected by her workaholic husband. Tony hires her in series 2.

Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara, a temperamental Irish former BBC journalist who is recruited by Corinium to host his own show at the beginning of the series. After seeing Tony's true colours, he leaves Corinium to start his own company, Venturer. He initially has a hostile relationship with Rupert, but the two gradually become friends and trusted colleagues.

David Tennant as Tony, Lord Baddingham, the ruthless managing director of Corinium Television. He has an affair with Cameron during series 1. He attempts to instrumentalize Declan in his war against Rupert.

Gary Lamont as Charles Fairburn (series 2, supporting series 1), the controller of programmes at Corinium who has a secret romance with Gerald.

Hubert Burton as Gerald Middleton (series 2, supporting series 1), Rupert's personal aide. In series 2, he takes Rupert's former seat as a Conservative MP.

Gabriel Tierney as Patrick O'Hara (series 2, supporting series 1), Declan and Maud's eldest child who harbours feelings for Cameron. He is a young idealist.

Anastasia Griffith (series 1, supporting) and Hayley Atwell (series 2) as Helen Gordon, Rupert's ex-wife and mother of his two children.

Rupert Everett as Malise Gordon (series 2), Helen's husband and Rupert's former showjumping coach.

Jonny Weldon as Mike Maples (series 2)

Bryony Hannah as Deirdre Kilpatrick (series 2, supporting series 1), an assistant to James Vereker at Corinium.

Louis Landau as Archie Baddingham (series 2, supporting series 1), Tony and Monica's teenage son.

Dan Tetsell as Steve Meadows (series 2, supporting series 1)

Critical response

For the first series, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 95% approval rating, based on 40 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A caustic comedy with swagger, Rivals makes class warfare and catty behavior addictive viewing." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic asserted Rivals captures Jilly Cooper's indulgent world of romantic intrigue and class satire. She praised the adaptation's blend of absurdity and serious pleasure, calling Alex Hassell's portrayal of Rupert both excessive and sympathetic. She found the clash between the '80s TV industry and the pastoral Cotswolds setting unified by rampant sexuality, adding a campy charm. Gilbert stated that the show balances humor with affection for Cooper's era and that its joy and lightheartedness offer a welcome contrast to recent, darker TV series. Rachel Cooke of the New Statesman said that Rivals exudes "sheer, unadulterated perkiness," celebrating Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles as an unapologetic romp through 1980s British life. She praised the adaptation's treatment as a period piece, reminiscent of Vanity Fair and The Forsyte Saga, praising its humor and satirical edge while avoiding self-consciousness. She found the ensemble cast, particularly Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black and Tennant as Lord Baddingham, delivered standout performances. Cooke described the show as deeply satisfying and entertaining, full of double entendres and cliffhangers, inviting viewers to enjoy humor in the absurdities of social pretensions.

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave Rivals five out of five stars. She said the series launches with bold energy and adherence to Jilly Cooper's original, unapologetically scandalous style. Mangan appreciated that Disney+ preserved the novel's essential elements—sex, excess, and Cooper's sharp social observations—without toning them down. She found the adaptation adept at balancing the over-the-top 1980s attitudes with modern sensibilities, noting its "light touch" and genuine commitment to bringing Rutshire to life. Mangan stated that the adaptation keeps the "rambunctious joy" of Cooper's original, treating escapism as a necessary pleasure rather than a sin. David Opie of Empire rated Rivals four out of five stars. He praised the adaptation for preserving the scandalous and addictive appeal of Jilly Cooper's novels, attributing this to Dominic Treadwell-Collins's expertise in soapy melodrama. He found that the show captures the indulgent spirit of 1980s primetime soaps like Dallas and Dynasty, complimenting the lavish budget and the cast's self-aware performances, especially David Tennant, Aidan Turner, and Katherine Parkinson. Opie stated that the series delivers a "hedonistic riot" and is a confident, nostalgic escape that's both explosive and endlessly enjoyable.

Nick Curtis of The London Standard similarly found the series brash and cartoonish (a description he contrasts with what he considers "good TV") but highly entertaining, calling it "the epitome of guilty-pleasure TV". Rating the series 4 out of 5 stars, he credited Treadwell-Collins and director Elliott Hegarty with understanding the inherent absurdity of Cooper's novel, noting the adaptation is "suffused with affection for Cooper and for the decade that was once a byword for gaudy excess but now looks rather quaint". Curtis praised the star power of the cast, singling out Katherine Parkinson as the show's "human heart", and acknowledged that the show's confident tone compensated for occasional pacing issues and a lack of subtlety.

Ed Power of The Irish Times describes the series as having "too many pants around the ankles, not enough plot". While acknowledging the show was "razor sharp about anti-Irish prejudice in Britain in the 1980s" and successfully captured "the go-go naffness of Margaret Thatcher's Britain", Power found the abundance of sex scenes "silly, prurient and juvenile and waggled in our faces to the point where it becomes a tiresome non-gag". He also wrote that the central rivalry's motivation is unclear, and pointed to a potential cultural difference in taste: "discerning viewers on this side of the Irish Sea might wish for less bonking [...] and more plot".

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