'Rivals' and the cult of Jilly Cooper

'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.

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

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

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

Image credit: Robert Viglasky / Disney / PA.

Get in touch: [email protected] 

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The Story: the flagship podcast from The Times and Sunday Times. One remarkable story, told in depth, each day.

Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones take you to the heart of the story you need to know with exclusive reports and investigations.

Discover the story behind the story with world-class journalism from The Times and Sunday Times.

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