Disney have promised that the new series of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals will be bigger and better than ever, and they’re not lying if Emily Atack’s hair is anything to go by. The actress has given us a tantalising glimpse of her new-season look and it’s shaping up to be even bouncier than her character’s infamous game of naked tennis in series one.
Emily won rave reviews for her role as Sarah Stratton, a politician’s wife with ambitions of her own. Prepping for the series two, the actress shared an Instagram post from the Paul Edmonds hair salon, showing her blonde hair teased into a gigantic blow-out.
Rivals is, of course, set in the 1980s, and the beauty vibe seems to have gone full Dynasty for the latest instalment of Jilly Cooper’s beloved bonkbuster. Emily told fans: ‘Ready for Rutshire… 👀👠 Sarah is back. Bonce bigger than ever thanks to all at @pauledmonds217 ❤️’
It seems like we’re not the only ones excited to see the return of Rivals, either. The post quickly racked up over 11,000 likes and plenty of comments from fans, including some well-known names. Tess Daly posted: ‘Go get it babe!👏👏❤️’ while Lisa Snowdon added a few excitable emojis: 🙌❤️🙌
Emily’s saucy game of love-all with Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell Black missed out on the Most Memorable Moment award at the BAFTAs last night, being (understandably) pipped by Dianne Buswell’s Strictly Come Dancing waltz with Chris McCausland to You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Emily’s BAFTA look, though, was a triumph in itself. Her hair, styled by Narad Kutowaroo, had deflated a good few inches from her Rivals look, with the 1980s making way for 2025’s trending ‘Ghost Wave’ texture. Makeup artist Lydia Barnes had also gone for a modern, soft-glam look, with nude glossy lips, immaculate cat-eye flick, dewy blusher and glowy tinted base.
While Emily’s look stayed close to her signature style, other stars opted to mix things up on the BAFTA red carpet. Frankie Bridge went for a daring micro fringe, and Alex Jones stepped out with a flowing extensions makeover.
Others leaned into beauty nostalgia with a fresh 2025 twist. Ruth Jones channelled Nessa’s raven hair shade (but thankfully not her actual haircut), while Claudia Winkleman revived memories of her epic eyeliner smudge of 2013 – but this time it seems to have been entirely intentional. Nice work all round, TV ladies.
