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Fictional age gaps have inspired strong reactions from TV fans, which is why Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean were surprised by the response to Rupert and Taggie on Rivals.
“I’ve certainly never been part of something before that is having a ripple effect in the real world,” Hassell, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly about the reception to Rupert and Taggie’s 16-year age difference. “It’s fascinating.”
Maclean, 29, meanwhile, recalled her initial concerns.
“We were probably nervous at points about the age gap,” she noted. “It’s so funny that we’re certain that people who we thought maybe would be curious or maybe were not such a big fan of the relationship ended up being people who loved it the most. It’s incredible.”
After seeing the online response, Hassell pointed out that Rupert and Taggie’s romance is more than just an age gap, adding, “It is about potentially this young and fairly open-hearted girl with her heart on her sleeve. She is this innocent, naive young woman, and the strength of her love and purity could change the biggest rogue in the whole world. It is a very potent fantasy for young people.”
Based on Jilly Cooper‘s novel of the same name, Rivals is centered on a feud between two men fighting for control of a television station in 1980s Britain. While viewers were waiting to see whether Tony (David Tennant) or Rupert would come out on top, it was Rupert’s surprising bond with Taggie that stole the show.
The fictional couple got off to a rocky start, but that paved the way for Rupert and Taggie to connect on a more emotional level. Season 2, which airs Fridays, has hit the pair with plenty of roadblocks.
“I think it’s good for it to feel a little painful, like you’re just dying for them to be together,” Maclean noted, to which Hassell added, “The audience’s feelings mirror their feelings. You want to be together, but things conspire to get in the way of it.”
Hassell previously spoke to Us about the discourse surrounding the age difference.
“Something about the age gap that is fascinating — because obviously it’s in the book and it’s a really important part of the story — is that it’s a complex trope in TV shows and in films,” he shared in 2024. “It isn’t a positive thing in culture that every 40-year-old man in every TV show has a young partner. But in this — and usually it has nothing to do with the story — it’s justified because it is a really important part of Rupert’s redemption.”
At the time, the duo weren’t sure how Rupert and Taggie’s connection would keep playing out.
“Taggie really wants to be with Rupert. By the end of season 8 — well, hopefully by then they would be together,” Maclean quipped. “But by the end of episode 8, she made it very, very clear that she really wants to be with him, she loves him and she can’t hide that anymore. Basically I think Taggie’s arc will be about rooting for Rupert and trying to get that. But whether or not they get together is another thing.”
Maclean pointed out that “there’s so much that can happen in season 2.”
“There’s so many other romances that will flare up. If it’s Rivals, there definitely will be more romantic partners probably,” the actress hinted, while Hassell mentioned Rupert’s entanglement with Nafessa Williams‘ character, Cameron. “There’s a big obstacle when he says in that scene before they kiss that he sort of feels trapped. He has promised Cameron to look after her — and he doesn’t even know what has just happened with Tony.”
He continued: “I’m sure that he’ll be having to try and work out what to do there. I hope the road to true love is bumpy. I hope that Rupert isn’t changed too quickly and too much. Part of the pleasure is what Rupert does and gets up to … what a mischief maker he is — on some level — and that he has these huge blind spots.”
Rivals airs Fridays on Hulu.
