Rivals star argues who Declan O’Hara should really end up with – and it’s not Maud

With so many characters, marriages and affairs going on in Rutshire, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of just who is with who these days. But so is the chaotic joy of Rivals!

However, with some main overarching romances being woven throughout the series, there are some fan-favourite pairings – and it turns out some lesser-known but still beloved dream couples, even for the cast.

Chatting exclusively to Radio Times at An Evening with Radio Times... at the BFI, when asked about her controversial Rivals opinion, Katherine Parkinson shared: "I don't think I've got any controversial opinions. Just that I ship, I believe is the word, Declan and Cameron."

Alex Hassell agreed, saying: "Yes! I mean, that's a very sexy pairing, isn't it, right there?"

Parkinson continued: "It is. And I think I'd like to see more of it. I suppose that's controversial in that you kind of want Declan and Maud to be safe together, don't you?"

As we saw in the sixth episode of season 2 before the show went on a pause, Declan (Aidan Turner) did admit to his wife Maud (Victoria Smurfit) that things had gotten more intense between him and Cameron (Nafessa Cook) while away in Ireland filming. As we saw, the tension between the pair was palpable, but unlike most of their Rutshire counterparts, they never gave into lust.

Declan instead was honest with Maud but now, in the new episodes, finds out about her marital transgressions with his arch nemesis. Could it perhaps pave the way for Declan to act on his feelings towards Cameron? Perhaps.

As we saw though, things between Declan and Maud only got more overwhelming at Bonfire Night when the truth came to light and Declan got angrier than fans have ever seen him.

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Chatting previously to Radio Times about that scene, Turner said: "He does get really angry, doesn’t he? They cut some stuff out – angrier stuff."

He went on: "It feels different, it’s different for Declan this time. There have been infidelities and affairs before but there was an understanding they had between each other. I think he feels like that trust was broken and with the worst person he could've ever had a fling with."

When asked whether it was surprising for him to play such extreme emotions as Declan, Turner said: "It was actually. You don’t know how things are going to go or how things are going to feel and suddenly, you’re into the thing and it’s growing.

"Your director can guide you through that and you can pull it down, land the plane however he wants to do it but then it begins to have a life of its own."

As for how things will pan out with Declan and Maud, we'll just have to wait and see – or if there are any further scenes that will lead to us "shipping" Declan and Cameron...

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Authors

Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.