When Victoria Smurfit arrived at the first-ever readthrough for Rivals back in 2023, she was understandably terrified. Taking on the role of Rutshire Chronicles icon Maud O’Hara was already a daunting prospect, so entering a huge room full of British acting titans made it all the more nerve-wracking. However, there was one particular person who immediately put her at ease.
“At the bottom of the stairs was Jilly Cooper, who I can only describe properly as Paddington Bear with a twinkle,” she says. “She just went, ‘My Maud!’ and gave me the biggest hug. She just had the ability to make everything better and everything safe. She was a cheerleader without the pom-poms.”
