Dame Jilly Cooper's Influence on Rivals TV Series
Novelist Dame Jilly Cooper expressed her concerns to the creative team behind the television adaptation of Rivals, advising them to refrain from depicting her "macho men" in tears, according to an executive producer of the show.
Dame Jilly was renowned for authoring The Rutshire Chronicles, a series that explored the scandals, romantic lives, and social circles of the affluent, countryside, horse-enthusiast elite.
Her widely acclaimed second novel in the 11-book series, Rivals, was originally published in 1988. The story reached a broader audience when it was adapted into a successful Disney+ television series in 2024.
Comments from Executive Producer Laura Wade
Laura Wade, the writer and executive producer of the show, described Dame Jilly as a source of "human sunshine" but recalled one notable critique she made regarding the series.
Speaking at the Hay Festival, Wade said:
"We were so lucky to have Jilly… You would expect someone to be quite strict about what you do with their key characters, and she really wasn't.
She would tell us, if I was making Rupert (Campbell-Black) cry too often, that was one of her favourites – 'stop making my macho men cry all the time'."
Dame Jilly Cooper's Passing and Tributes
Dame Jilly, an English author and journalist, passed away unexpectedly in October of the previous year at the age of 88, following injuries sustained from a fall at her home.
At the time of her death, Queen Camilla led the tributes, describing her as a legend and a "wonderfully witty and compassionate friend." The Queen added:
"May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs."
Cast Reflections on Dame Jilly's Death
During a panel discussion at the Hay Festival, Victoria Smurfit, who portrays Maud O'Hara in Rivals, shared her recollection of the moment the cast and crew learned about Dame Jilly's sudden passing.
The actress recounted:
"I came back (from a break) and Eliza Mellor, our extraordinary on-set producer, was in the room and everything about her was devastated, and I remember walking in and going, 'Oh God, someone's died'.
And it is a testament to Jilly's sparkle and her champagne soaked soul of heavenly delight that at 88 there was not one iota of me that thought it might be her.
She'd been across all the episodes, she'd been across season three, she'd been across everything, and she dropped and rolled…
And now she gets to have fun up there."
Dame Jilly Cooper's Literary Success and Role in Production
Dame Jilly sold more than 11 million books in the UK alone and was actively involved in the production of the television adaptation, serving as an executive producer.
