As work on the next chapter in the Disney+ raunchy series Rivals, sad news has been announced today that Dame Jilly Cooper, the bestselling British novelist behind the riotous “bonkbuster” novel and many others, has passed away at the age of 88.
The novelist saw her Rutshire Chronicles become a huge hit on Disney+ last year when Rivals was adapted into a star-studded mix of sex, scandal, class and sport that featured David Tennant, and more. Season 2 has recently moved into production with the series expected to return to screens next year.
Cooper’s publisher announced that the author’s death had come as a shock to both her family and friends, and came after a fall. The news sparked a wave of tributes on social media from those who knew and worked with Cooper on her several TV shows, many novels, and just knew her as a friend. This was followed by more kind words from her legion of fans that has built up over the last five decades.
Cooper’s children, Felix and Emily, said in a statement: “”Mum, was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds. Her unexpected death has come as a complete shock. We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”
Rivals star Victoria Smurfit led the cast paying tribute to Cooper. Smurfit, who played Maud O’Hara, shared on Instagram:
“Our divine Queen has gone to the sky. Her words will live forever but the way she made you feel, when in her company was human sunshine. Jilly was everything that was good about being a person. Paddington bear with a naughty twinkle. All love to her beautiful and loving family and friends. #jilly #rivals #rip Will miss that Dame so much.”
Rufus Jones, who plays Paul Stratton, wrote on Instagram:
We are almost exactly halfway through filming Series 2 of Rivals, and have just heard that Dame Jilly has left us. What an extraordinary woman. Just last month we were all together at her famous summer garden party, still giddy at being in the realm of this fantastic person. Hilarious, twinkingly outrageous and kind, we loved being in her company. My love and thoughts with Jilly’s friends and family, and the Rivals company. Back to filming a show that was always Hers, but utterly moreso now. Xx.”
Jilly Cooper Leaves Behind a Lasting Legacy
Born in 1937 and first known to many for her journalistic work as a columnist, Cooper made her popular breakthrough in 1985 with Riders, the novel that introduced show-jumping legend Rupert Campbell-Black and became the first of her genre-defining Rutshire books that followed, including Rivals, Polo, and more. The books were often sniffed at by critics for popularizing the term “bonkbuster” in British media, but the multi-millions of copies sold spoke volumes about how readers felt when it came to the combination of social satire combined with risqué bedroom antics among the posh knobs of the upper class.
Cooper’s influence gained a new resurgence in 2024 when Rivals burst on streaming, bringing her stories to a new audience, and maintaining the authenticity of Thatcher-era Britain by setting the series in the 1980s. Now the second season will not only continue to deliver on her work, but keep it alive beyond the author’s own life. RIP.
