Rivals landed on Disney+ in October 2024 and was quickly met with widespread praise. Led by two-time BAFTA-nominee David Tennant (Doctor Who), this raunchy period drama focuses on the bitter, long-standing rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Tony Baddingham (Tennant), two men who dominate the UK show business world in the 80s. After years of feuding, their conflict comes to a head, affecting the lives of all of those around them.
Rivals has been applauded for its blend of comedy and drama, exploring a plethora of adult themes in a lighthearted way whilst also maintaining its raw moments. The success of the show has led to three BAFTA nominations and heightened fame for pretty much all the cast. However, there has been one cast member who seems to have shined above the rest and become a fan favourite. This popularity has even led to fanfare hopes of a spinoff show. So, who is Danny Dyer, the actor who plays Freddie Jones in Rivals?
Danny Dyer: A “National Treasure”
Danny Dyer was born on July 24, 1977 in the Custom House area of London. Growing up in a rather deprived part of England where crime was rife, he sought escapism via acting, joining acting workshops as a teenager. In 1999, he scored his big break with the now cult Brit flick, Human Traffic. From here, he continued acting in supporting roles, sharing the screen with the likes of Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig, until he landed his first leading role in Nick Love‘s pioneering football hooligan film, The Football Factory. While this role pushed him into the mainstream consciousness, he was quickly typecast as a thug, an image he capitilized on by presenting the documentary series Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men.
Over the years, Dyer has lost credibility as a dynamic actor to many, particularly with his turn to soap opera acting, starring in Eastenders from 2013 to 2023. However, since leaving the show, he has cultivated a succesful resurgence. 2024 was a big year for the actor, taking on a lead role in Mr. Bigstuff, and a standout supporting role in Rivals. In Rivals, Dyer plays Freddie Jones, a working-class man who has come up in the world and successfully climbed the social ladder due to his success in the world of software technology. Although Rivals is packed full of some of the UK’s most prestigious talents, it is Danny Dyer who has gotten most people speaking about the show.
When the series first aired, social media was abuzz with adoration for Dyer’s Freddie, with users calling him a “sensation” and a “hearthrob”, far from the image he had in the mid 2000s as a boisterous hooligan. Many fans of the show were quick to state how his talent “shouldn’t be wasted on just soaps anymore”, and others were demanding a spinoff solely focused on his character. One doting fan wrote: “The more RIVALS I watch the more I can see that Danny Dyer is a national treasure.” Since his resurgence, this is a title that been thrown his way many times.
When Is Rivals Season 2 Coming Out?
After the success of Rivals, Danny Dyer has been hard at work, and in keeping with many fan’s hopes and wishes, has not returned to soaps. In March 2025, he re-teamed with Nick Love for Marching Powder, which despite being a film that suffered many negative reviews, managed to gross an impressive £3 million in box office sales against its £1.6 million budget. During an episode of Live and Let Dyers, which he co-hosts with his daughter Dani Dyer, the Rivals sensation has confirmed he is preparing for a second season.
After season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger, the second season was confirmed in December 2024. As of yet, filming hasn’t begun, but Dyer has noticeably been regrowing his moustache, which indicates principal photography is imminent. There is currently no release date for Rivals season 2, however, the first season took 7 months to film. So, it is likely that the next season will follow a similar schedule and arrive at some point in 2026.
Will There Be a Third Season or a Spinoff?
As of writing, there is no indication of a third season of Rivals. Season 1 amassed over 400,000 views in its first 24 hours and then quickly went on to receive countless awards nominations. So, if season 2 follows suit, a third season is likely. Dyer won in the Supporting Actor category at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards 2025 for his portrayal of Freddie Jones, so, chances are he would be more than keen to venture into a spinoff series if one is written.
Dyer’s praise for the series has been rather bittersweet. Although he has expressed his gratitude, and playfully accepted his new “sex symbol” status, he has called some of the acclamation “backhanded”, saying: “Actually, there’s a headline that went, ‘The biggest plot twist about Rivals is that Danny Dyer can act.’ “In a way, I’m going, ‘Oh thanks for the compliment,’ at the same time going, ‘Well, f**k off!'” Either way, spinoff or not, Danny Dyer is well and truly on the up. He is next set to share the screen with Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson in Tinsel Town, and will lead a one-man drama movie called Three Quick Breaths.
Read Next: Top 20 British Male Actors You Need To Know
Follow Us
