‘Rivals’ actor arrested on set on assault charges
A supporting actor has been arrested on set for the Disney+ television series, Rivals.
Nigel Adams was arrested in Gloucestershire by Avon and Somerset Police. The incident took place at Berkeley Castle while he was filming a scene for the TV show, only an hour after he had filmed a polo scene alongside Danny Dyer. He was reportedly still in costume when police arrived.
According to the BBC, the 45-year-old was accused of assaulting a woman outside of filming, at a coastal address on May 31st. He appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on June 6th. A spokesperson for the Rivals production company said: “On 4th June, the police visited the set regarding an unrelated matter involving a supporting artist.”
The supporting actor was subsequently released on conditional bail and is set to appear at Bristol Crown Court on July 7th.
Rivals have been quick to distance the show from the controversy. The Happy Prince production company added: “Production co-operated with the police. We do not have any further information as it is not connected to Rivals or to our production.”
However, The Sun reported that another source called the scene “dramatic.” They said: “Everyone was in their costumes and Danny was filming this polo scene when an hour later police suddenly turned up to arrest one of the extras. It was shocking.”
Rivals is a period drama television series adapted from the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel of the same name and made for Disney+. It follows Rupert Campbell-Black (played by Alex Hassell) and Tony Baddingham (played by David Tennant) as they confront a longstanding rivalry within the TV business.
In other Rivals news, Tennant has recently likened the treatment of transgender people to Margaret Thatcher’s government introduction of section 28, which is explored in the TV series. This was a 1988 law that prohibited local authorities from promoting or discussing homosexuality. Using this reasoning, Tennant has hit out against JK Rowling’s transphobic views.
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