The British actress Bella Maclean, famous for playing Taggie O'Hara in Disney +'s Rivals, has opened up about the nudity clause in her contract for the show.
In a new interview with Harper's Bazaar, the 28-year-old actress revealed it was important to her that her contract for the programme had a no-nudity clause as she "didn't want to sexually exploit" her character or herself.
© WireImageBella told the publication: "It was important because of how pure Taggie's character was. I didn’t want to sexually exploit her, and I didn’t want to do that to myself either.
"That was really important to me, and I think it will stay important to me. There are some things I just want to keep to myself.
"I don’t judge anyone who does it. Sometimes it’s so beautiful. If I had Victoria Smurfit’s body, I'd probably be walking around naked.
© Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Ima"But in that sense, we're all lucky because there are amazing intimacy coordinators on our job. I know that’s not the case for other people. We’re all good friends who can just say no to the directors, and they'll listen."
Bella stars in the series alongside David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Danny Dyer and Emily Atack.
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for DisThe series is an adaptation of the Rutshire Chronicles novel series, written by Dame Jilly Cooper, who sadly died in October last year at the age of 88, but Bella explained the show's new series, which will return on 11 November, would carry her spirit.
Bella said: "Jilly is the heart of everything we do, and I feel her naughtiness a lot in the second half of the new season. This series is so juicy, it gets so intense. That’s all Jillyness. She pushed things."
Emily Atack weighs in on shooting the 'raunchy' scenes
In 2024, Emily Atack, who plays Sarah Stratton in the show, opened up about shooting the raunchier scenes in the programme in an exclusive interview with HELLO!.
"My friends and family have seen me do this quite a lot now, worryingly," Emily, who is the daughter of actress Kate Robbins and musician Keith Atack, said at the time.
© Sanne Gault"My family work in the industry as well, so they kind of look at a professional stance but I don't think they know quite how raunchy this one is. I might shield with my dad's and my son's eyes, but apart from that, it's not real."
Chatting about filming the sex scenes, Emily explained that they were "integral" to the plot. "I was completely comfortable, completely fine. I'm there doing a job. We have intimacy coordinators and I get on so well with my cast members and the crew.
"It was all very carefully thought through," continued the actress. "It's written really beautifully. The scenes are integral to the plot and storylines, so it's just not just nakedness for no reason."
