The Story

'Rivals' and the cult of Jilly Cooper

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Episode notes

'Rivals' hit our TV screens this month; it’s the first adaptation of a Jilly Cooper ‘bonkbuster,’ the 87 year old Dame who taught a generation about sex and posh people. Her uber-popular romance novels sell in their millions, so what’s behind her popularity (aside from all the bonking) and how is she changing how we see, and show, sex.

This podcast contains lots and lots of talk about sex and other themes of an adult nature.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/subscribe


Guest: Sarah Ditum, writer, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones

Clips: Rivals / Jilly Cooper / Elliot Hegarty / Happy Prince / Disney+; ITV; BBC; Addicted To Love / Robert Palmer / Bernard Edwards / Island. 

Get in touch: [email protected] 

Image credit: Robert Viglasky / Disney / PA



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