The Rings of Power stars react to season 3 "love triangle" claims – and tease "complex" Galadriel, Sauron and Celeborn relationship

Over the past two seasons, The Rings of Power has steadily built the complex love/hate relationship between Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Sauron (Charlie Vickers) – and now, it's about to be disrupted completely.

After being presumed dead for two seasons, elf lord Celeborn (played by Stranger Things star Jamie Campbell-Bower) is about to arrive on the scene, and he's understandably less than impressed by their dynamic – to the point that showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay have dubbed the situation a "love triangle".

Sharing his reactions to that divisive description of the trio with Radio Times, Sauron actor Vickers predicted: "They're going to regret saying that!"

"There's no love lost here," Clark added, referring to Galadriel and Sauron.

" I certainly didn't play it like that, but if some people choose to see whatever's on screen and call it a love triangle, they can if they want to," Vickers said.

" It's interesting because when Sauron meets Celeborn again for the first time, in a long time... they have their own shared history as well. And then all of a sudden he's like, 'Well, I actually kind of know your wife now.' So it's a bit more complex, let's say."

Fans have been waiting a long time to see Celeborn back on screen, with the creatives behind the show auditioning "dozens if not hundreds" of actors before settling on Bower.

"When I heard Jamie was gonna play Celeborn I was like, 'It's perfect,'" Clark said.

"I've been a fan of the show and of Morfydd's work for a really long time," Bower added.

"I remember when we did our chemistry read, which would've been January last year, it was such a beautiful experience. I remember leaving the experience and calling someone I work with and just going, 'I had the best time. If this is as far as it goes, then so be it.'"

"Then I was fortunate enough to get the job. But then we also had all of these things that we got to do outside of being on camera. We have to learn a dance and we have to fight, and it's those kind of moments that are so humbling because it's quite vulnerable."

The Rings of Power season 3 will jump forward five years, with Middle-Earth in the midst of a devastating war with Sauron, and the dark lord working to forge the One Ring – during the moments he's not thinking about Galadriel and Celeborn, that is.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to watch on Prime Video from Wednesday 11 November 2026. You can sign up to Amazon Prime Video for a 30-day free trial.

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Authors

Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.