#MP!Leo

[khlegacynexus]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63079396/chapters/162746113

@mishacakes (picks up your OC) I’m taking Tomiko, Bye!! (Runs off quickly)

[khlegacynexus]

I remember this

Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the excuse of rampant power this year or the next time he actually competes lol

Draxum's rude af kids are making their way through the @tmntaucompetition

*protective big brother mode activated*

@tmntaucompetition

[wordpress-blaze-242797155]

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[flowerbloom-arts]

‘All right!’ said Moominpappa, putting the poker back in its corner. ‘All right. If she’s not the slightest bit dangerous, you won’t want me to look after you then. That’s just fine by me!’

(...)

She went up to the big map hanging on the wall, the one showing Moominvalley with the coast and its islands. (...)

‘There it is,’ she murmured. ‘That’s where we’re going to live and lead a wonderful life, full of troubles…’

‘What did you say?’ asked Moomintroll.

‘That’s where we’re going to live,’ repeated Moominmamma. ‘That’s Pappa’s island. Pappa is going to look after us there. We’re going to move there and live there all our lives, and start everything afresh, right from the beginning.’

- Moominpappa at Sea, 1965

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

           Thoth, the Egyptian God of Knowledge.            He is a City Council member and law professor.

FC NAME/GROUP:  Luo Yunxi/Actor GOD NAME:  Thoth PANTHEON:  Egyptian OCCUPATION: Mount Phoenix University Professor of Law, Egyptian Pantheon City Council Representative DEFINING FEATURES: Tall and willowy figure, necklace bearing a golden crescent moon pendant that transforms into his crown at will, often seen with a pen in his breast pocket which transforms into his staff, a golden Ankh bracelet on his right wrist, usually carrying a digital tablet.

PERSONALITY:  With a great wealth of knowledge, arrogance would be expected, but arrogance is something Thoth lacks.  True, he seemingly knows EVERYTHING, but he is not boastful and he never uses information for personal advantage.  He is considered “the great mediator”, not only serving as scribe to the gods but also as counselor and peacemaker, the grand mediator.  As expected, this introverted deity favors the company of books over people, but he is by no means standoffish or unkind.  Quite the opposite, Thoth is very approachable and considerate, always respectful to others, and does not talk down to them even the slightest bit.  Though clearly wise, he prefers to take an advisor role as opposed to being someone in a higher leadership position.  Seeing every moment as a teachable opportunity, he has a knack for guiding others through a lesson of which they may or may not be aware is happening.  Though gentle as moonlight and just as soft spoken, his presence is weighted with the gravitas of wisdom harnessed within his very essence; gazing into his eyes, entire universes can be seen.  Yet it is also a comforting thought that despite his vast wealth of knowledge, he never abuses it.  He could, oh how he COULD, but he chooses not to do so, which also speaks volumes of his character.  But also, just because someone knows how to do something, doesn’t mean they have the capabilities to do it.  

HISTORY:  In the beginning, there was One, and the essence of all things produced its own sentient presence known by many names, master of mortal and divine law.  Thoth birthed the calculations that would establish the heavens, the stars, the earth and all things in between.    From there, he authored works of mathematics, science, astronomy, medicine, government, languages both written and spoken, seasons, and astrology.  He played a crucial role in designing the pyramids, creating the connection between realms.  

Along with Ma’at, he maintained the balance of the universe.  He laid the eggs that would hatch Ra, Atum, Nefertum, and Khepri.  When the gods squabbled, Thoth was there to record and mediate and is known as the great mediator of the divine.  When the battles became physical, he used his wealth of medicinal and magical knowledge to heal the injured party so neither good nor evil would have decisive victory over the other.  When Nut was cursed with sterility, he made a bet with Khonshu for 1/72nd of the moon’s light which resulted in the creation of five extra days in the year which Thoth then gave to Nut so she could bear children.  He taught Isis the words and ritual to resurrect Osiris and Horus.  

With such a distinct concentration of gods and demigods in one place, Thoth saw Mount Phoenix University as a prime opportunity to teach the young ones about both mortal and divine law in an attempt to maintain the balance of the universe.  Thus, he accepted the position of Professor of Law as well as a seat upon the City Council.

POWERS: 

SIEVE OF KNOWLEDGE:  As the God of Knowledge, Thoth has the innate ability to recall documented history, rituals, and magical spells from any moment of time, be it recorded through written, video, audio, digital, art, or any other mediums, including live theatrical performances.  This does not make him omnipotent, just an excellent source for verified information.

THOUGHT TO MEDIA TRANSFERENCE:  As Scribe to the Gods, he also has the ability to instantly transfer thoughts into a coherent medium such as a scroll, painting, or video for the sake of documentation.  In the cases of willing recipients, he can immediately transfer a thought from their mind to another with a single “pluck”, though this is reserved primarily for those who have difficulty articulating their thoughts.

THE ORIGINAL OMNIGLOT:  The creator of language, both spoken and written, he has the ability to communicate in any and all languages fluently, including those long dead and once forgotten as well as “made up” languages. 

STRENGTHS:  Intelligent, patient, calm, nonjudgmental, great at giving advice, considerate, master strategist

WEAKNESSES:  Introverted, know-it-all, stubborn, people who purposefully do illogical things for attention annoy him, tends to avoid large crowds. 

[khlegacynexus]

Clip from aftermath pretty much their reaction to seeing this thing

[silicacid]

MEMO Interviews: Will Brits fighting for Israel be charged with war crimes? MEMO speaks to British lawyer Ilora Choudhury about the legality of Britons going to fight with the Israeli army in Gaza, and whether they could be implicated in war crimes on their return to the UK. Choudhury, senior counsel at the International Campaign for Justice for Palestinians, sent a letter to the British Foreign Office requesting information on the numbers of British citizens currently fighting with Israel in Gaza, and whether they plan to issue legal guidance for those travelling to the Middle East to fight, like they did with Ukraine in 2022.

— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) November 29, 2023

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67621116

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60522745

Jeremy Corbyn presses Foreign Minister on British troops in Gaza; minister avoids answer In a parliamentary exchange, UK MP Jeremy Corbyn raises a question about the presence of British soldiers on the ground in Gaza. UK Foreign Minister Leo Docherty avoids a direct response, saying Israel's objective is to defend itself against Hamas.

— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) December 6, 2023

[jupiitersreturn]

In some branches of Astrology, the Sun is commonly associated with the Husband whereas the Moon is associated with the Wife. In Modern Astrology, Jupiter is representative of the Ideal Man or Spouse for Feminines and Venus is representative of the Ideal Woman or Spouse for Masculines. That's why the Sun/Jupiter and Moon/Venus Midpoints are important to look at when considering Romantic Compatibility. They are a combination of what we are subconsciously attracted to in a partner and therefore the energies/signs we naturally gravitate to and form connections with.

The Sign That Your Sun/Jupiter (For People Attracted To Masculines) or Moon/Venus (For People Attracted To Feminines) Midpoint Is In Could Tell You Your Ideal Partners;

Sun, Moon, or Venus Sign

Catherine Zeta - Sun/Jupiter MP in Libra | Michael Douglas - Sun + Venus in Libra

Keith Urban - Moon/Venus MP in Leo | Nicole Kidman - Venus in Leo

Paul Newman - Moon/Venus MP in Aquarius | Joanne Woodward - Moon in Aquarius

David Beckham - Moon/Venus MP in Aries | Victoria Beckham - Sun in Aries

Nicole Kidman - Sun/Jupiter MP in Cancer | Keith Urban - Moon in Cancer

Nicole Kidman - Sun/Jupiter MP in Cancer | Tom Cruise - Sun in Cancer

Perrie Edwards - Sun/Jupiter MP in Leo | Alex Oxlade - Chamberlain - Sun in Leo

Priyanka Chopra - Sun/Jupiter MP in Virgo | Nick Jonas - Sun in Virgo

Jessica Biel - Sun/Jupiter MP in Capricorn | Justin Timberlake - Venus in Capricorn

Jay - Z - Moon/Venus MP in Scorpio | Beyonce - Moon in Scorpio

I'll make another post about Midpoints more in depth later this week! <33

[khlegacynexus]

Here’s my version

made a meme chart for all the Sep AUs out there because I'm curious

I filled it out for my AUs under the cut

(yes most of these are from AUs I haven't talked about on tumblr lol)

[khlegacynexus]

FINALLY After three days of locking in and getting this done behold the Armageddon Cover and yet another picture was all six of my turtles. ^^

Unfortunately, this has kept me from working on the next chapter, but that’ll be tomorrow’s project when I get home from work.

Sorry you guys

[evenmoreofadisaster]

I wonder what 1-D would think of Leo’s Victory dance doesn’t have to be MP!Leo or doing it just any Splinter Raised Leo doing this https://youtu.be/P4gaPr018X4?si=6MOOVVMkfZ_hOaI3

cringe

[afieldinengland]

I’m just getting in New Labour and British political history. What books would you recommend? I’m aware of the Alastair Campbell diaries but I don’t know which ones are the best/key?

of course !! apologies for the very late reply, friend— here are the ones that i’ve found of interest:

-> servants of the people and the end of the party by andrew rawnsley— these in particular are the ones i’d recommend. fascinating and in-depth, and very good for getting a sense of the intensity and the arc of it all

-> alastair campbell and the rise of the new media class by peter oborne

-> this is a sidenote, but i have to mention them: if you fancy reading two books that are really, really bizarre, you can give the man behind the smile and fellatio, masochism, politics, and love by leo abse a go. an old labour mp spends pages and pages doing weird amateur freudian analysis on blair’s britain, calling blair an androgynous pervert alongside references to e.g. placentas, the band nirvana, and pharaoh akhenaten (seriously). i don’t recommend these, really, but they are crazy

biographies + autobiographies:

-> a journey by tony blair

-> the new machiavelli: how to wield power in the modern world by jonathan powell

-> the third man by peter mandelson

-> my life, our times by gordon brown

-> the diaries of alastair campbell, as you mention— i’ve only read the blair years in full so far, but i do definitely recommend it !!

not books, but documentaries:

-> news from number ten (2000), about alastair campbell and his role as director of communications. this is a documentary by michael cockerell, and he’s made quite a few political documentaries i haven’t yet seen— but i’m sure they’re also worth a watch!!

-> blair and brown: the new labour revolution (2021), a retrospective four-part series about the new labour years, with interviews with key figures

-> out of the shadows and we are the treasury (1997), about brown and his treasury in the run-up to a) the 1997 election and b) the first labour budget respectively

-> peter mandelson: the real pm? (2010), following mandelson in the run-up to the 2010 election

-> trust me, i’m a politician (2003), about trust and scandal in politics— especially interesting, as it was made before the publication of the ‘dodgy dossier’ and the invasion of iraq

-> the downing street patient (2004), about the health of prime ministers more broadly, but also in part about blair

[khlegacynexus]

1-D must be writhing in rage right now MP!Leo is laughing Sorry 😅

Even More of a Disaster - @evenmoreofadisaster

Little Brother AU - @sharkfinn

[marcusrobertobaq]

March 13th 2025 and I still don't know why Markus breakout wall is "DO NOT DEFEND YOURSELF" if we can legit not defend ourselves. Why tf u gonna break something u ain't gonna break? Ain't better renaming it to something like "DO NOTHING"? Cuz that would imply "doing nothing" means not taking any decision or really not doing anything, basically letting Leo continue his bullshit - and that also means u ain't supposed to choose things yourself, you're supposed to ... Do nothing?

Unless u were going to break it for sure but in the last damn second u had a change of heart and a new event (Carl dying) interrupted everything.

It's really not complicated to fix this issue, bro. Just change the mp wall. Well, it won't change the fact it's the only instance we got a semi-master obedience shit but fuck it, right?

[lucksea]

first pass at an actual astra design... i think if i were to really go in for finalization i would give astra shorter hair and give leo an afro but im doing this to give mp astra a consistent human form so im trying to learn to draw hair this way . I WILL IMPROVE

[turneradora]

Here are the press article from the Radio Times magazine.

Thanks again to Emma Jones for the written version ! 🙏🥰

Rutting in Rutshire!

Bouffants, bounders and creaking beds… Jilly Cooper reveals why Rivals is her favourite book (and shares the secret of a happy marriage)

‘Buckets of electric blue eye shadow, heaving shoulder pads atop polka dot and pinstripe suits, haystacks of bouncy hair, kept in place by enough lacquer to fuel a rocket – it feels like I’m back at school getting ready for the end-of-term disco. In fact, I’ve walked onto the set of Rivals, Disney+’s big-budget adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s 1988 bestselling bonkbuster.

We’re inside a huge restaurant in Gloucester, which is doubling up for a posh eaterie in the novel’s fictional Rutshire of 1986. Waiting to make his entrance is Aidan Turner, sporting a moustache to make Tom Selleck proud, in the role of TV chat show host Declan O’Hara. Other names on the call sheet include David Tennant as the cartoonishly named Lord Baddingham, Danny Dyer as big-of-heart, bigger-of-wallet Freddie Jones, and Alex Hassell as the polo player-turned-Tory minister and one-man shagathon, Rupert Campbell-Black. It’s quite the starry cast, but despite all the familiar faces in the room, there is an audible hush upon the arrival of one small, smiling figure through the door – Dame Jilly herself is in the building.

Later, in a quiet corner, she expresses her enthusiasm for the project in exactly the selfeffacing, giggly and gushing style you would expect from the creator of such scrumptious literary – and now TV – fare: “It’s miraculous!” What about the producers? “They’re brilliant, they don’t really need me.” This is clearly not true. With 45 titles to her name since her light-hearted guide to wedlock How to Stay Married debuted in 1969 and 11 million books sold in the UK alone, Cooper is best known for her Rutshire Chronicles, an 11-strong set of door-stopping tomes that began in 1985 with Riders and follow the antics of the horsey set in bedrooms and boardrooms, stables and swimming pools. Rivals, the second in the series, focuses on the very 1980s idea of a battle to secure a regional TV franchise. “I think of all the books I’ve written,” says Cooper, “Rivals is my favourite. The battle for franchises in those days was so strong. And people made absolute fortunes."

The ideas he presented were lovely and he was lovely. It just happened.” She grins. “Plus, the fact that he is double-barrelled, that’s nice.”

As is her priapic protagonist. Rupert Campbell-Black is at the centre of the new drama, as he is in the books, and was the one bit of casting over which Cooper exercised her veto. “I thought Alex (Hassell) wouldn’t be right, he wasn’t blond, but then I met him and… he is very attractive.” Campbell-Black is a composite of two real-life, double-barrelled men, Rupert Lycett Green and Andrew Parker Bowles, as well as the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, all of whom the author met soon after she and her husband Leo moved to the Cotswolds in 1982.

“I’d just moved to the country and met these heavenly men, they became great friends and and I was able to study how an upper-class man would behave there.” Do her friends mind appearing in her novels? “Oh no, they love it.”

Campbell-Black may have wall-bouncing charisma, but he’s not entirely chivalrous with its deployment. Is that OK? “People do behave badly,” says Cooper. “They certainly did in the 1980s. Rupert has good qualities. He’s lovely to his dogs, he’s a good MP and he adores his wife. They fall madly in love with each other. Lots of men are frightfully promiscuous until they find their true love.”

Does she believe men like Campbell-Black are at risk of being squashed out of society today? “Yes. When did you last see a fantastically attractive man on television in drama recently?” Hmm, Poldark? Another grin. “He’s in my story. I love good-looking, glamorous, funny, macho men.”

Cooper’s own great romance was with Leo, her publisher husband of 52 years until his death in 2013. She says: “Happiness in marriage comes from creaking bed springs, not so much from sex but from laughter. Well, a bit of both, but definitely laughter. He was lovely, funny, clever, full of military history and kind. He loved cats and I loved dogs, so we worked that out.” She is perhaps referring to his well-documented 1980s affair that rocked, but didn’t ruin, their marriage when she says, “Obviously ups and downs, but when you go through a down, you just hang on and hope it gets better”.

Cooper’s stories are all as raunchy as they are romantic – “I just like people to be happy,” she smiles – but in between all the muddy boots, labradors on mats and shepherd’s pies on kitchen tables, there are progressive layers to be found in both the books and now the TV adaptation. The female characters are strong and self-determining. “The women in those days were seduced, and were seductive,” Cooper says, before adding wistfully, “Beautiful men and women… and they didn’t fight so much.”

Have love and romance changed in the 30 years since the book came out? She sighs. “Half of teenage children are brought up without their parents staying together. It’s so sad. Happy marriage is the best recipe for life and if people can try to stay together, they should try to make it work. The world is very frightening now. Don’t give up on things easily.”

In real life, Cooper counts among her set Andrew Parker Bowles’s first wife Camilla, now better known as Her Majesty, of whom the author can’t say enough good things. “She’s a friend of mine. I adore her and I think she’s going to be a wonderful queen. She looks beautiful at the moment, she’s become very glamorous.” And, of course, a real-life totem of Cooper’s favourite thing, a happy ending.

”‘FOR JILLY TO APPROVE MY RUPERT WAS IMPORTANT’

ALEX HASSELL PLAYS RupeRt Campbell-blaCk

You were chosen from hundreds of possible actors to play Jilly Cooper’s romantic lead. Did you feel the pressure of expectation?

Initially, I wasn’t sure I’d get the part, I’m not blond or blue-eyed and I’m not from that world, but it’s important to me to live up to a certain Rupert-ness. To have Jilly’s seal of approval was very important.

Where did you go for inspiration?

I’ve met two of the men she based him on, which was helpful. But once on set, you put on your costume and start to feel it.

Or take your costume off…

How did you prepare for that naked tennis scene?

By trying not to get intimidated! If I did have nerves, that day was important as I had nothing to hide behind and it was a naked crucible through which to believe myself as Rupert.

With his arrogance and privilege, is Rupert a force for good?

It depends… He’s reaching middle age and rattling around in his house with just dogs and horses for company, and he’s realising that past choices aren’t going to end well for him. But there is a core of goodness there.

IT’S A PERIOD PIECE LIKE DICKENS’ DAVID TENNANT PLAYS

Lord Tony Baddingham

What was the appeal of Rivals? Before I’d even opened the script, my wife Georgia saw the title and told me I was going to be in it, so any element of choice was taken away from me. She had quite a visceral reaction to it and has been a champion of the whole thing. Did a little part of you want to play Rupert Campbell-Black? It didn’t really matter who I played. But I couldn’t compete with Alex for Rupert. I think Lord Tony Baddingham is a more natural fit for me.

Tony is the resident baddie. Do you have any sympathy for him?

He doesn’t see it that way, he’s just doing what he needs to do in order to survive. Objectively, I can see that some of the things he does aren’t particularly morally robust. It’s all Daddy issues. I don’t think Tony is difficult to make sense of, he’s very plausible. The characters all have drama to them, but they’re nuanced and make sense. You’re not struggling to join the dots, they’re well-crafted and that’s why Jilly’s books have survived. There is a quality in this work that makes it timeless.

Would these characters be believable in a more modern setting?

No, they are entrenched in the politics and mores of that era. It was such a specific moment in time – all that excess; Margaret Thatcher saying there was “no such thing as society”. It changed how people were allowed to think and certain people grabbed it, ran with it and wallowed in it. These characters all swim in that swamp.

The big battle in Rivals is to win a TV franchise. Is the story still relevant?

It’s not something we really have an understanding of now. When I first read the scripts, I thought, “Are the stakes of this going to make sense?” But it doesn’t matter what they’re competing over, it’s just who they are and that’s what drives them and that feels very alive and human.

What kind of portrait of 1980s England do we see in Rivals?

Jilly Cooper is a great chronicler of the human condition. It’s a period piece like a Dickens drama. You can marvel at how different some things were and how similar other things were. That’s part of the joy.

What did you love most about the 1980s?

I’ve loved rediscovering the music. I was a teenager during those years, so there was a lot of music it wasn’t cool to like. But some of these tunes are banging.

‘A WOMAN WITH RED LIPS KNOWS HER BUSINESS’

NAFESSA WILLIAMS PLAYS Cameron Cook

You were born and raised in West Philadelphia, a long way from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire. What drew you to the role of TV producer Cameron Cook?

It was the script, plus how smart Cameron is. You have this black woman in a white man’s world in the 1980s, being able to run a company. She’s very fashionable, very strong, very grounded in who she is — and very comfortable in her sexuality.

She’s very distinctive. Did you have a particular style influence?

The singer Sade was a big inspiration for how Cameron looked, with the flicked back ponytail and the long braids.

Would you resurrect any of that era’s distinctive fashion?

I loved the high waists, the belts, the hair. It was all bigger, bolder, brighter. We don’t see as many red lips and nails now as we did back then — that speaks of a lot of confidence and sexiness, and being bold. A woman with red lips and red nails knows her business. Bring some of that back!

‘THERE WAS AN INSTANT TRUST WITH AIDAN’ VICTORIA SMURFIT PLAYS

Maud O’Hara

Maud doesn’t seem very satisfied with her lot as Declan’s wife and is very open to temptation… She is a very complicated, insecure, broken butterfly who exists on validation. She’s feeling down, she wants every man to fancy her, and her selfishness drives her to where she wants to go.

Had you met Aidan Turner, who plays your screen husband, before?

I didn’t know Aidan, but there was an instant trust. We barely talked about how our characters operated, we just knew they were existing in an English hierarchy, as this scrappy, passionate Irish family. We instantly knew where we were at.

Does Jilly Cooper treat her female characters well?

When you watch the whole arc of all the different women, by the time you get to the end, it feels like a feminist piece. All of the female characters play their politics out the way they want to — some get what they want and some get what they need.

Maud is very colourful in her mood and clothes. Did you have fun with your costumes?

Maud is more boho 70s than the others. The costumes did a lot of the work for us. As soon as we put on our clothes, it felt like we knew who our characters were.

I BASED DECLAN ON MY DAD’

AIDAN TURNER PLAYS Declan O’Hara

When you got the script for Rivals, did a little part of you want to play romantic rogue Rupert Campbell-Black, as opposed to Irish chat show host Declan O’Hara?

No, not one single bit. Alex [Hassell] does it better. It’s a best person for the role thing. There are very few Irish actors who can do Declan O’Hara as well as me, know what I’m saying? My eyes were always on the O’Hara prize.

How familiar were you with Jilly Cooper’s books before you were cast?

I remember dating an Irish girl who loved Jilly Cooper. She was in the atmosphere, but I hadn’t read the books until I started shooting. On the first day of filming, I got into the trailer and there was a copy of Rivals. We already had all the scripts, but we could use the book as a reference for tone. It was great to have it there.

Declan has quite a distinctive look. Where did you go for inspiration?

There’s something of my dad, who had a moustache all through the 1980s and 1990s. I lightly based a lot of Declan’s character on my dad — he sounds like him and has his physicality. Plus Declan is a dad, and I’m a father now, too. I felt I made a lot of connections.

Was there a TV interviewer or chat show host you studied beforehand?

Declan’s an amalgamation. There are some modern British presenters, but someone I went to a lot was the host of the American debate show Firing Line, William F Buckley. His show was political, smoky, quite serious, slow-paced and high-brow — all the things Declan would love.

You’ve been interviewed many times before. What did you discover about life on the other side of the microphone?

When you’re interviewing someone, there’s power because you can ask what you want, but it’s about building up the trust. If you just lambast people, you won’t get to a second season — people have to respect you.

These things are important to Declan. Even the word “chat” irks him slightly. Rivals is set firmly in the 1980s. What would you like to bring back from that decade?

The lack of telecommunications and mobile phones. As we see in the show, it forces people into situations that could be easily solved with a phone call. The characters can’t contact someone on the other side of the county, they have to show up unannounced at their house. There’s a lawlessness, a looseness, an unpredictability.

‘I MISS THE SHOULDER PADS’

KATHERINE PARKINSON PLAYS Lizzie Vereker

Lizzie is the sweetest of the local women, but she can be easily led by her Rutshire neighbours… Lizzie gets caught up with the snobbery of the world she’s in, and she does that thing of joining in with the crowd for survival. Then when Freddie Jones [Danny Dyer] arrives and they mock him, she’s chastened.

It takes an outsider to come in and hold a mirror up to these people. The married but neglected Lizzie embarks on an affair with Freddie. Did you approve?

They are both quite pure and drawn to each other for the right reasons, so it’s actually a positive thing. You want these characters to find themselves again.

Rivals is set in 1986. Have things got better for women since then?

My mother’s generation were more likely to sacrifice their talents for the sake of their husbands. I think that’s definitely evolved since the time Jilly Cooper was writing about, but it’s helpful to look back and see what still needs to change.

In your opinion, what was better about the 1980s?

The earrings… and the shoulder pads.

‘I’VE NEVER CLAIMED TO BE A HARD MAN’

DANNY DYER PLAYS Freddie Jones

Tech millionaire Freddie Jones is a lot softer than the “hard” men you usually play?

I don’t know where that comes from. I know I’m a working-class actor, I swear a bit and walk like a duck with a swagger, but I’ve never claimed to be a hard man. When I was in EastEnders, I wore a pink dressing gown. But this is something different and, for me as an actor, I needed an opportunity to look different. I don’t get many opportunities to do that. Even my biggest haters through their gritted teeth might have to accept that Freddie is a nice, watchable character.

Was that your real hair?

I wish. I had it all clipped on. What a bouffant it is! I’ll cling on to what I have for dear life, but I accept it. I’m a grandfather now, I’m allowed to go bald.

Freddie is the richest of all the characters, but an outsider in Rutshire. Is he the real top dog?

There’s a kindness behind the eyes of Freddie, but he’s a teddy bear with a bite. He has no desire to be top dog, but when he needs to put his foot down, he does. I fell in love with him when I read the script.

One scene, where Freddie and his wife are mocked by the Rutshire set, makes for uncomfortable viewing...

There’s an element of classism and other -isms in the show. As much as they want Freddie and his money around, they also look down their noses at him.

In 2018, you accused David Cameron of “putting his trotters up” instead of working hard. How did it feel going to Gloucestershire, the stomping ground of Cameron and his pals?

It’s not the world I come from. But this is set in the 1980s, we’re in a different era and environment now, but we’re true to how it was.

Freddie also develops a slowburn, hard-earned romance with Lizzie Vereker…

They’re both in marriages where they feel suppressed and don’t feel seen. Hopefully, the audience will root for us to have an affair, which is a strange thing as it sounds awful.

Do Freddie and Lizzie get a suitably Cooper-esque sex scene?

You’ll have to keep watching. Things take a surreal turn.

What was the best aspect of the 1980s? Anything you miss?

I think we have far too much technology now. I have children who can’t understand how we survived without mobile phones. I feel it was slightly less complicated in the way we engaged with each other: sitting down, making eye contact.

EMILY ATACK PLAYS

SARAH STRATTON

Your character, the wife of the Tory deputy Prime Minister, appears very manipulative and conniving. Did you enjoy playing her?

She’s a car crash, but she’s ambitious, smart and a bit sick of being told all her life she’s a ditzy blonde. Particularly at the time this is set, women felt there was little other option for them but to use their sexuality to get what they wanted. Characters like her are often written as unlikeable, but there are lots of hidden layers and vulnerabilities.

Her look is very much of her time. How did you go about creating it?

My morning pick-up times were the earliest of the entire cast. Hours and hours in hair and make-up — so much hairspray and backcombing. At my first fitting for costume, I thought, “I’m never going to fit into that,” but with a pair of Spanx we were good to go. And I bought some cheap 80s perfume, which I wore every day.

For one famous scene of naked tennis with Rupert Campbell Black, there are no clothes at all. How did that feel?

The whole cast were warned early on that there would be nudity and sex scenes, so you knew what you were getting into. The sex is integral to the scenes and the characters, and the tennis scene is very famous, so I wanted to get it right. Alex [Hassell] and I talked it through with the director, to make sure we felt comfortable. It was a closed set. I felt very safe, and I had a great spray tan.

Last year you made a documentary about the sexual harassment you’ve received for several years. Did you hesitate to take this role, or did you feel defiant?

You can’t win whatever you do. If you keep your clothes on you’re a frigid nun, if you take your clothes off you’re a tart. But I love my job and if a role I’m playing requires nudity and it’s integral to the story and I’m safe, I’m exactly where I should be. I’ve learnt it’s not my behaviour that needs to be looked at and changed, it’s other people’s. I’ve learned to take back the narrative that was taken from me — my sexuality, my body. These kinds of roles are fun. I’m still young and it’s OK to feel liberated. I enjoy what I do. And it’s Jilly Cooper – it’s an honour to do it!

Since filming, you’ve had a baby. Are you thinking about work again yet?

For nine months solid, I sat on my arse, ate peanut butter sandwiches and watched all of Downton Abbey. So I’ve had my time off, and now I’m back

[def-not-kaz-brekker]

Ok ok if the character cast consists of:

Dark haired guy with an object as defense mechanism and hides emotions but is insanely in love with significant other who is practically the embodiment of an angel but could also murder people and Dark Haired Guy would be giving their SO heart eyes while they’re murdering people (kaz brekker, nico di Angelo/percy Jackson, kinda fitz vacker)

Significant other (or Murder Puppy) who is really sweet and caring and in love with Dark Haired Guy but could also murder DHG but won’t because they have more morals than DHG and everyone loves them and fans need to learn to recognize the fact that Murder Puppy is also their own person and not just DHG’s SO (inej ghafa, will solace/annabeth chase, Sophie foster)

BFF of DHG’s MP. Usually a confident queer person who drives to look hot but doesn’t need to because already hot and their own partner has died and this impacted them profoundly but now they’re stronger than ever (Nina zenik, piper mclean, biana vacker)

Partner who died who was a goody two shoes who got corrupted. Usually blond haired and tall, grew up in strict environment. Everyone misses them and had a weird relationship with DGH (Matthias Helvar, Jason grace)

Chaotic Bisexual. Can kill you, and will roast their way into hell. Super flirty but will physically short circuit when their partner (Shy [Murderous] Cinnamon Roll) flirts back. Humor as coping mechanism and mother died when they were young. Awkward relationship with father. (Jesper fahey, Leo Valdez)

Shy (Murderous) Cinnamon Roll. Cute little baby uwu until you realize they’re insane. They will murder you. But also really innocent and will not understand CB’s sexual references unless explained to them. Usually red headed guy. (Wylan Van eck, sorta frank zhang and hazel levesque, Dex dizznee)

Blonde Sarcasm Guy. Playful and flirty, probably bisexual, actually really smart. Underestimated by everyone, and tbh kinda similar to DHG. Everyone loves him but gets really freaked out when he starts murdering people. (Nikolai Lantsov, Keefe sencen)

Then it’s a good book.