Glasgow Castlemilk Gary Lamont David Tennant Rivals season 2 Disney+

The Glasgow-born actor plays Charles Fairburn, an ambitious yet vulnerable television executive in the glossy 1980s-set series based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel of the same name.

The show dives into the world of commercial television and Conservative politics, and has now been renewed for a second season, set to premiere in May 2026.

Gary Lamont and Hubert Burton arriving for the world premiere of season two of Rivals (Image: Jeff Moore)

Gary's character, the controller of programmes at Corinium Television, navigates the pressures of a toxic workplace as an openly gay senior figure during the height of the AIDS crisis.

He is regularly the target of cruel jokes from colleagues, including Corinium TV boss Tony Baddingham.

We previously reported that the Glasgow star has been recognised for his performance with a BAFTA Scotland Audience Award nomination.

He stars alongside David Tennant, who plays the show’s main antagonist, Tony, Lord Baddingham.

David Tennant arriving for the world premiere of season two of Rivals (Image: Jeff Moore)

Tennant’s character schemes for control of Corinium TV and is locked in a power struggle with aristocratic MP Rupert Campbell-Black, a former Olympic showjumper.

He delivers one of the show’s most cutting lines in the season two trailer, emerging from a helicopter and saying: "Sorry I’m late, darling. I’ve had a terrible headache."

The 54-year-old is raised in Ralston, Renfrewshire, and has spoken openly about his strong ties to the area and his childhood in the greater Glasgow region.

Nafessa Williams, David Tennant, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer arriving for the world premiere of season two of Rivals (Image: Jeff Moore)

Tennant is best known for his roles in Doctor Who, Broadchurch, and Good Omens, and has described Ralston as his true home despite being born in Bathgate, West Lothian.

The new season of Rivals picks up after a dramatic season-one cliffhanger in which Lord Baddingham was violently struck by Cameron Cooke, played by Nafessa Williams, and left in a pool of blood.

Promotional material for the new season hints that Baddingham will be "even more determined to come out on top," promising further intrigue and conflict.

A Castlemilk star has been pictured on the red carpet for a huge hit series (Image: Jeff Moore)

Mr Lamont is well known to Scottish audiences for his long-running role as hairdresser Robbie Fraser in BBC Scotland’s soap River City, which he played from 2009 until 2017.

He has also appeared in theatre productions at King’s Theatre, the Pavilion, and the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow.

Other returning cast members for season two include Danny Dyer as businessman Freddie Jones, who describes the world of the show as "a bloody circus."

The show is packed with media intrigue, Westminster scheming, affairs, and scandals, with much of the action unfolding inside the high-stakes world of Corinium TV.