Heated Rivalry stars say they had ‘no boundaries’ in gay romance’s vast amount of sex scenes
"You can do whatever you want to me, however you want to me," said Connor Storrie
By Aaron Sugg
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie reveal that their sex scenes in the upcoming gay hockey series Heated Rivalry had “no boundaries”, adding they allowed each other to do anything they wanted.
The queer romance series, created by Jacob Tierney, has been described as “gayer” than Normal People, following a steamy secret romance between two athletes.
At the Heated Rivalry world premiere last week (23 November), the pair spoke about their promised three sex scenes per episode, based on Rachel Reid’s novel.
“You can do whatever you want to me, however you want to me” – Connor Storrie on Heated Rivalry sex scenes with Hudson Williams
As reported by Offside News, Storrie said: “I don’t think Hudson or I are particularly squeamish about that,” to which Williams added: “No boundaries.”
Speaking about their intimacy coordinator, Storrie continued: “From the jump with Jacob and our intimacy coordinator, we were like, ‘You can do whatever you want to me, however you want to me.’”
The series follows hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Williams and Storrie, as they go from sporting rivals to off-pitch lovers.
Showrunner Tierney has previously promised in an interview with Teen Vogue that viewers can expect about three sex scenes per episode, capturing moments of consent, self-discovery and internalised homophobia.
“These sex scenes are not gratuitous sex scenes” – Jacob Tierney describing Storrie and Williams’s intimate moments in Heated Rivalry
Tierney explained: “We have to make sure these sex scenes are not gratuitous sex scenes; we’re learning about these men. [You can’t have these scenes] without that specificity.”
Speaking on the talk show The Society on CTV, Storrie explained that their relationship has blossomed, adding that they work similarly on set, which helped them build a good rapport in intimate scenes.
“Me and Hudson are best friends. Uh, we became really close really quick and it’s way easier to have sex on camera and fall in love with someone if you’re [friends],” Storrie said.
“There are so many things to reconcile that drive him insane” – Tierney on themes of self discovery
Tierney explained to Teen Vogue: “I think [Shane’s sexuality] doesn’t fit his idea of perfection. For Shane, being perfect and being gay, for some reason, those two things don’t fit. So the first time he falls in love is with Ilya, there are so many things to reconcile that drive him insane.”
He added that the series is not just about the horny gay sex viewers might expect. “I’m waiting for my gay hockey smut to end up on TV,” he joked, clarifying, “It’s not that. I’m so happy to be able to give them something they never expected.”
Heated Rivalry is available to stream on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US 28 November 2025, with a UK broadcaster yet to be announced.
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