Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney confirms intimacy rehearsals for season 2 are underway
Tierney previously revealed that both actors were willing to film full-frontal nude scenes for the first season, but he decided against it
By Callum Wells
Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney has confirmed that intimacy rehearsals for season 2 are underway.
The Crave hit stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as rival hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, whose secret romance develops alongside their on-ice rivalry.
Speaking to V Magazine, he said, “We just had our intimacy rehearsals for season two. We went through all the stuff that we’re going to go through again, and we try to make sure that they’re really comfortable.”
“Their wellbeing and safety are very important to me” – Jacob Tierney on Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie
Addressing the attention surrounding the actors’ nude scenes after the first two episodes were released, he added: “The care I take is with Connor and Hudson. Those are my friends. Those are my wards. I owe them a lot. We’re intertwined. Their wellbeing and safety are very important to me.”
The creator previously revealed that both actors were willing to film full-frontal nude scenes for the first season, but he decided against it.
“I was like, ‘I’m not showing your d***k'” – Tierney on the actors’ willingness to film full-frontal scenes
Tierney was speaking to actor Andrew Rannells about his book, I’ll Believe in Anything: The Making of Heated Rivalry Season 1, The Annotated Scripts, which was released last Tuesday (13 October).
“I was like, ‘I’m not showing your d***k,’” he said.
He explained that Williams and Storrie were “very game” when it came to filming the intimate scenes, with both prepared to “show everything”.
The decision was ultimately down to Tierney’s own preferences as the show’s creator. “It’s about what I wanted to show,” he said.
Tierney said he tried to write sex scenes “as specifically as I could”
The conversation also covered how the production prepared for intimate scenes, including the work of intimacy coordinator Chala Hunter and the practical arrangements made to respect performers’ boundaries.
“So, that all happens long before we’re on set,” Tierney said of the preparation involved.
He explained that he wanted the scripts to be detailed enough for the actors to know precisely what would happen during each scene.
Tierney said he tried to write sex scenes “as specifically as I could” so there would be “no mystery as to what’s happening”.
When is Heated Rivalry returning for season 2?
Heated Rivalry follows rival ice hockey players Hollander, played by Williams, and Rozanov, played by Storrie, as their sporting rivalry develops into a romance they keep hidden from the public.
The series is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels and premiered in late 2025. A second season is expected to air in 2027.