E! Online·United States·Monday, October 19, 2026 at 02:18 AM UTC

Heated Rivalry's Ksenia Kharlamova Details Filming Season 2

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Filming Heated Rivalry season two has been an unrivaled experience.

Just ask Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova. After all, the actress reflected on returning to the steamy hockey romance alongside costars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, plus a new ensemble of characters from Rachel Reid's Game Changers universe.

"It's still very grounded and fun and light-hearted," Kharlamova exclusively told E! News at the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Oct. 18. "It's just fun being on the set. All the new cast members are so fun.”

While Williams and Storrie are bringing Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov back to life, respectively, Justice Smith is making his Heated Rivalry debut as social media manager Harris Drover for Ottawa—a.k.a. Ilya's new team—opposite Charlie Gillespie's hockey player Troy Barrett.

Other new additions include Daniel Diemer as Toronto's Ryan Price, his love interest Fabian Salah (Shaheen Jafargholi) and Emily Hampshire as Fabian's BFF Vanessa.

"It's awesome," Kharlamova—who plays Ilya's best friend Svetlana Vetrova—added. "It's changed it for the better. It's like having more friends there."

The model couldn't help but praise the show's director and creator Jacob Tierney, adding that he is "just such a great person to be around."

Although Kharlamova admitted that she couldn't share any more details about filming, Tierney previously revealed how Svetlana ultimately has continued to become a “more rounded and important character” in the series.

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"I do think that telling an honest story about queer men involves female allies because that's our lives, especially when you're young," he told the audience at the A Night of Heated Rivalry in Brooklyn earlier this month. But he added, with Ilya, "because he's so internal. I was like, 'You need to talk to somebody.'"

And fans will get to see more of the best friends in the upcoming installment, which is set to premiere in spring 2027.

"This happens a lot in season two, where he's lying, but at least he's saying something out loud," Tierney continued. "It's so interesting to have to watch him call her and be like, 'I'm fine. I love it here.' You're like, 'OK, well, you're not.'"

While fans wait for Kharlamova's return in Heated Rivalry season two, keep reading to see the actress and more celebs who attended the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

—Reporting by Lauren Herbert

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