‘Rivals’ Stars Tease the Moment That Could Change Everything for Rupert and Taggie [Exclusive]

1 week ago 8

Bella Maclean and Alex Hassell in Rivals Season 2 Episode 2

Published May 22, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT

Maggie Lovitt is the Deputy News Editor at Collider. In addition to reporting on the latest entertainment news, she is also an actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild based out of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Lovitt is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Critics Choice Association and National Press Club.

While she spends her time writing and editing articles about the entertainment industry, Maggie’s background is actually in history and anthropology. She loves it whenever she can bring those two facets of her life together, such as with reviews for series like We Were the Lucky Ones and The New Look, and engaging interviews with talent like Ben Mendelsohn, Liev Schreiber, or Jonas Nay.

As Episode 4 of Rivals Season 2 lands on streaming today, fans of the raunchy Disney+ series can’t help but look ahead to where things might be headed for one of the central couples. Especially when the first half of the season has not been particularly kind to Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) or Taggie O’Hara (Bella Maclean).

The current state of affairs is, of course, entirely because Rupert put the kibosh on their burgeoning romance in Episode 1 by becoming Cameron Cook’s (Nafessa Williams) white knight in her moment of need. While last week’s three-episode premiere gave a glimpse into what a coupled Rupert and Taggie might look like, the joy of their day out with his children was swiftly snatched away, and this week continues to leave the fan-favorite couple at odds. But fear not, we have a scintilla of new intel about the impending hunt ball, which will — hopefully — at long last push Rupert and Taggie into each other’s arms. Perhaps, quite literally, if the details we’ve eked out are anything to go by.

Collider’s Michael Zimmermann caught up with Hassell and Maclean earlier this week while the duo and their co-stars, Williams and David Tennant, were in New York City to support the launch of Season 2. Armed with questions about the iconic hunt ball, which Disney+ has been mercilessly teasing fans with by way of featurettes, news segments, and behind-the-scenes snaps, Zimmermann got two rumors confirmed in swift succession.

Classic Rock Personality Quiz Who's Your Perfect
Classic Rock Band? A Personality Quiz · 10 Questions Five legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?

⚡AC/DC

👅Rolling Stones

🤘Metallica

👑Queen

🎸The Beatles

Begin Quiz →

How do you walk into a room? Choose the answer that feels most like you.

ALike a freight train — loud, fast, and everyone knows I've arrived. BWith a slow, cool swagger — I take my time and own every step. CHead down, focused — I'm here for a purpose and small talk isn't it. DWith total confidence and a flair for the dramatic — all eyes on me. EWarmly and curiously — genuinely excited to see what and who is here.

Next Question →

What does your ideal Friday night look like?

ALoud bar, cold beer, cranked jukebox — the louder the better. BA smoky club, good company, and doing whatever feels right in the moment. CIntense concert or staying in with headphones — nothing in between. DSomething theatrical — a show, a dinner party, an experience worth remembering. EHanging with close friends, maybe making music, keeping it relaxed and genuine.

Next Question →

What's your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?

ASimple is king. A great riff repeated perfectly beats any amount of cleverness. BKeep it loose and bluesy — the groove matters more than technical perfection. CGo deep and dark — I want layers, tension, and something that hits hard. DWhy not both? Elaborate arrangements and hook-driven anthems can coexist. ECraft every detail — a perfect melody is the result of countless small choices.

Next Question →

How would your friends describe your personal style?

ANo-frills, no-nonsense — jeans, a t-shirt, and ready to go. BEffortlessly cool — slightly dishevelled in a way that somehow always works. CDark and deliberate — black is a lifestyle, not just a colour. DBold and expressive — fashion is a form of performance for me. EClean and classic — timeless over trendy, always put-together.

Next Question →

How do you want to be remembered?

AAs someone who never let the energy drop — relentless, loud, and alive. BAs someone who lived fully and on my own terms, unapologetically. CAs someone who was brutally honest and made music that meant something real. DAs someone who transcended genres, boundaries, and expectations entirely. EAs someone who changed the world — and left it genuinely better than I found it.

Next Question →

What kind of crowd do you want around you?

APeople who are there to have a blast — no pretension, just pure fun and noise. BA mix of rebels and free spirits who don't take themselves too seriously. CA loyal, passionate crew who are all in — intensity over numbers every time. DEveryone — I want to unite people who wouldn't normally be in the same room. EPeople who appreciate craft and feel genuinely connected by the music.

Next Question →

If you were writing a song, what would it be about?

AHaving a good time, turning it up, and not overthinking it. BStreet life, desire, and the rawness of being human. CAnger, grief, war, or the darker side of the world — music as a weapon. DSomething epic and emotional — love, loss, triumph, or pure fantasy. ESomething personal and universal at once — a feeling everyone can recognise.

Next Question →

What's your secret to staying relevant over time?

ANever change the formula — if it works, it works. Consistency is everything. BStay hungry, stay dangerous, and always keep a bit of that rebellious edge. CEarn respect through dedication — the work and the live show speak for themselves. DReinvent constantly — never let anyone put you in a box or predict your next move. EWrite songs so good they can't be ignored, in any decade, in any context.

Next Question →

You're playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?

AA wall of sound and sweat — pure, unfiltered energy from first note to last. BLoose, cool, and dangerous — every song feels like it might fall apart but never does. CBrutal precision — tight, powerful, and leaving no one unmoved. DA full spectacle — lights, costumes, vocal acrobatics, and total theatrical command. EWarm, joyful, and tight — the crowd singing every word back at you.

Next Question →

Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music. This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ARaw — stripped back, high-voltage, no frills. BRolling — fluid, dangerous, built on blues and attitude. CHeavy — powerful, honest, uncompromising. DMajestic — theatrical, boundary-defying, unforgettable. ETimeless — melodic, human, built to last forever.

See My Result →

Your Result Your Perfect Band Is Revealed

Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…

⚡ AC/DC

You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don't need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You're the person in the room who doesn't overthink it, doesn't pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you've been on it since day one.

👅 The Rolling Stones

You've got swagger that can't be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you've seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You're not chasing perfection — you're chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can't always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.

👑 Queen

You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone's permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.

🎸 The Beatles

You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you're a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You've changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.

↩ Retake Quiz

Will "Lady in Red" Appear in 'Rivals' for a Second Time?

While chatting with Hassell, the star revealed that the hunt ball “had a very special guest singing cameo,” all but confirming The Sun’s exclusive reporting that Chris de Burgh will perform his song, “Lady in Red,” during the episode. While The Sun stated that the song would be performed during a wedding scene, it makes far more sense for de Burgh to perform “Lady in Red” during the hunt ball, considering the song — and the ball itself — are part of a pivotal scene in the late Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel, which sees Rupert and Taggie’s romance move forward. It also wouldn’t be the first time the pair swayed to the tune, as the song featured in Season 1, Episode 3, too. Hassell did claim that he wasn’t sure if this bit of news had been revealed yet, so perhaps Rivals has another surprise in store if this musical cameo isn’t a perfectly-timed de Burgh appearance. After all, he also teased that “there's quite a lot of dance numbers that I don't think you'd expect.”

Maclean opted to be quite tight-lipped about the hunt ball with Zimmermann, revealing only that “there are a lot of animals in the hunt ball.” However, she also revealed that there was “a lot of spinning” for her, which conveniently ties into something she recently mentioned in an interview with British Vogue. During the junket for the series, she told the magazine that she “nearly threw up” while filming a sequence where she had to hold the camera and spin around in a tight dress. The scene seemingly included Hassell, whom she joked called for a bucket for her to puke in. Within that conversation, Hassell also revealed that it was a “really big Taggie moment” with “a lot [of] stuff going on underneath,” which does sound like the hunt ball scene from the book. We also know that Taggie will be clad in a red dress for the hunt ball, furthering the theory that the "Lady in Red" moment will indeed come to fruition.

It may not be a lot, but while Rivals fans endure a RuTag drought, it’s nice to know that the pair may actually end up together by the end of Season 2 — even if the series is going to make audiences wait the better part of a year for those scenes.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Rivals and be sure to check out Zimmermann’s conversations with the cast.