Dame Jilly Cooper on her show Rivals

“Would you like a large drink?”

A visit to Dame Jilly Cooper’s home in the Cotswolds is everything you could hope for.

It’s just after noon, as indicated by the many clocks on the crowded walls of her foyer and living room. Almost every inch of the surface is taken up by artwork, family photos, framed cartoons or sports memorabilia – including, rather unexpectedly, a signed Emile Heskey Liverpool jersey.

Despite the relatively early hour, the author of some of the best-selling novels of the 1980s is keen to share the contents of his drinks cabinet.

She believes in old-fashioned hospitality in the former 14th century monks’ dormitory where she has called home for over 40 years and where she lived with her husband Leo until his death in 2013.

Earlier, on the way to his village, we passed a gentleman on horseback dressed in a jodhpur, who gave us a mischievous and charming smile. It could have come straight from the pages of one of his Rutshire Chronicles books.

Her so-called “bonkbusters” – a term Dame Jilly doesn’t like – are set in the world of the horse-owning, bed-swapping, country-living upper classes.

“Low morals and high barriers” is how she sums up the books perfectly. With their mixture of sex and scandal, they published sensations.

The second of the books, 1988’s Rivals, was just adapted into an eight-part Disney+ series with an all-star cast including Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Victoria Smurfit and Emily Atack.

Dame Jilly served as executive producer, so we were invited to visit her, although she doesn’t want to claim credit for what she describes as an “absolutely wonderful” adaptation.

“How much say did I have? Not much,” she laughs, explaining that her grandson Jago was a runner on the production, so when she visited the set she was better known under the name “Jago’s grandmother”.

She did, however, suggest some changes.

“There were times when I said, ‘No, I don’t think they should jump on each other this early in the story,’ and things like that.”

Set in the world of 1980s television, Dame Jilly is relieved that Rivals’ more outlandish sensibilities and storylines haven’t been toned down for a more sensitive 2024 audience.

In the first episode, before the opening credits even roll, a pair of fully exposed male buttocks are on display during a “mile-high” sex scene on the Concorde.

“That wasn’t in the book,” she nods approvingly.

“It’s fun. It’s pretty naughty too.” She pauses before adding, “There’s a lot of sex. In one episode, everyone in the cast is coupled up and fornicating for the next 20 minutes and all that.”

Lady Jilly seems rather shocked by what she saw. “Well, 87 is very old and we forget about gender,” she offers by way of explanation.

When I ask her what makes her blush in life, she gives me a rather surprising answer. “Books that I once wrote. Because I’m amazed by some of the things I’ve written about. They’re quite strong.”

Turns out she’s currently re-reading Rivals to prepare for more interviews about the series.

“Lots, lots, lots of sex,” is his critique.

“The ’80s were definitely the most fun time,” she muses.

“Loads of sex, masses of drinking, masses of partying. The younger generation all wish they had been born then.”

However, she is quick to point out that one of the less MeToo-friendly aspects of the TV series, when an uninvited groping is used as a replacement for a chat-up line, was not in the print version.

There are many aspects of the 1980s that she is nostalgic for, including what she perceives as a major shift in relationship dynamics.

“I think women are much tougher, much stronger and much more direct. And I think men are much, much less macho. I mean, macho is gone. You’re not allowed to be macho.

“Women are stronger and men are weaker, so there is not much sexual desire between them,” she summarizes.

She also believes there is another factor contributing to the decline of modern dating.

“Everyone goes jogging. They get up in the morning, run around the countryside for hours. They do exercises. That’s what they do now. They don’t have sex anymore. They’re fine too tired to have sex now. Jogging is bad for people’s love lives.

In the 1980s, the idea of ​​Jilly Cooper teaming up with Disney would have seemed as likely as Rivals choosing Jackanory.

There is no doubt that she is delighted with this collaboration.

“I loved Disney when I was a child. Passionately. Dumbo, Bambi.”

In previous adaptations of her work, Dame Jilly was unhappy with the casting of “the most handsome man in England” Rupert Campbell-Black, the fictional former Olympian and future Conservative MP, known for his conquests in the hall. meeting and in the bedroom.

This time the role went to English actor Alex Hassell, who starred in His Dark Materials. In Rivals, he is seen without any equipment, thanks to a nude tennis scene.

“They interviewed 600 people for this one,” reveals Dame Jilly, delighted with the final choice, despite some obvious differences from her literary creation.

“He’s very handsome. Rupert is blond and blue-eyed in the book, but he’s gone dark and has dark eyes. But he’s very sexy.”

Further details of its main character are explained during a walk with Lady Jilly in her large garden, as she points out the view across a valley that inspired the literary location of her manor.

She also guides us to a small two-story outbuilding, gently announcing: “I wrote Rivals there. Above a room with all the garden tools. It was very quiet.”

The only difficulty in interviewing Dame Jilly is trying to stop her from continually asking her own questions, such is her enthusiasm and interest in all aspects of life.

She reveals that until Rivals, she had never heard of Danny Dyer (“he’s lovely, quite shy”), that the aspect of modern life that frustrates her the most is inheritance tax, and that She’s not a fan of the concept of internet dating (“horrible”).

She also enjoyed looking back on a busy year, which notably earned her the title of Lady of King Charles.

Turns out he took the opportunity to pass on some betting tips. “He laughed and said, ‘By the way, if you go to Ascot we have some pretty good horses’.”

There was also an invitation to Downing Street by the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who was revealed to be a fan of his books. “He was adorable,” she enthuses.

“The king. A prime minister. I have a bit of that,” she laughs. “I said I’d never meet men again.”

One thing she won’t do anymore is write the Rutshire Chronicles: “No, I think Rupert is quite old now.”

However, this TV version of Rivals only goes halfway through the novel, so if successful, the plan would be for multiple seasons.

“I hope so,” she beams. “It would make us all very happy for the next few years.”

We are invited to take a seat at the kitchen table, followed by an offer of cakes and further suggestions of strong drinks.

When I ask him if a cup of tea might be an alternative, a look of disappointment, disapproval and pity appears on his face.

Once again, modern man has failed Dame Jilly Cooper.

Rivals is on Disney+ starting October 18.