They set hearts racing when their characters embarked on a love affair in the bonkbuster Rivals.

Now, Danny Dyer, 47, has paid tribute to his co-star Katherine Parkinson, also 47, at the Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday evening, after he won the prize for Best Supporting Actor in the raunchy Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.

Taking to the stage to accept his award, Danny jokingly quipped: ‘What a result, I’ve got to thank Disney, I’m a Disney star now! Such a brilliant show I think I’ve had a result here because there’s so many brilliant performances.’ 

He went on to acknowledge Katherine, who was also nominated for her role in the series, which saw Dyer’s moustachioed businessman, Freddie Jones, embark on an affair with Lizzie Vereker, played by Parkinson. 

He added: ‘I’d like to thank Denee, my manager, and also the amazing Katherine Parkinson.’ 

Danny concluded his acceptance speech with a shout-out: ‘Shout-out to the working class actors, remember where you come from!’

Danny Dyer, 47, has paid tribute to his co-star Katherine Parkinson, also 47, at the Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday evening

The actor, who won the prize for Best Supporting Actor in the raunchy Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, acknowledged Katherine, who was also nominated for her role 

Ahead of the awards ceremony, the iconic duo reunited on the red carpet and posed for several stunning pH๏τos together. 

Danny looked sharp in a satin black double-breasted blazer and wide-leg trousers, striking several poses for the camera. 

Meanwhile, Katherine looked effortlessly chic in a plunging silver blouse, an oversized single-breasted blazer, and a pleated midi skirt as she linked arms with Danny on the red carpet. 

She added inches to her frame with a pair of pointed black court heels and kept accessories minimal with beige drop earrings. 

To complete her look, Katherine wore a radiant makeup palette and styled her red locks in an elegant updo as she beamed for the cameras. 

Danny led the Royal Television Society nominations and triumphed over McKinley Belcher III (nominated for his performance in Netflix’s Eric) and Sonny Walker (nominated for The Gathering on Channel 4).

Rivals writers Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade also won in the writing category, beating Will Smith’s Slow Horses and Peter Straughan’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. 

It’s been a good awards season for Danny, who also won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the prestigious Broadcasting Press Guild awards in London last week. 

Taking to the stage to accept his award, Danny jokingly quipped: ‘What a result, I’ve got to thank Disney, I’m a Disney star now! Such a brilliant show,’

He added: ‘I’d like to thank Denee, my manager, and also the amazing Katherine Parkinson’

Danny confirmed that he will soon begin filming the new series and will have to walk his daughter Dani, 28, down the aisle in May, all while sporting his character’s trademark moustache. 

Mother-of-three Dani has revealed that she’s planning a small wedding to West Ham footballer Jarrod Bowen later this Spring. 

He told Heart Radio: ‘I will have a moustache because I’ll be shooting, so I’ll have a tash.’

Even though Danny hasn’t seen the scripts yet, he revealed that he’ll need to learn how to ride a horse for the new series. 

He added: ‘I’ve not read any scripts yet, so I can’t give you any, but I do know that I have to learn how to ride a horse. So, that’s all I’ll tell you!’

Rivals boasts a star-studded cast, including David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Emily Atack, as well as Danny, Katherine, Alex Hᴀssell, Oliver Chris, and Claire Rushbrook.

Set in 1986, the story explores the cutthroat world of television, including the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Hᴀssell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant). 

Amid a series of lavish parties and luncheons at Lord Baddingham’s country estate, steamy affairs and star-crossed yearnings unfold. 

The iconic duo star as businessman Freddie Jones and romance author Lizzie Vereker, who embark on an affair in the hit drama series 

While there is no official release date yet for season two, based on the first season’s production schedule, a 2026 release, potentially in the latter half of the year, seems likely

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Disney+ renewed the hit series for another season on December 4. Jilly, who serves as an executive producer on the project, expressed her excitement in a statement: ‘Nearly 40 years after my novel Rivals was published, 

‘I’ve adored seeing the world fall in love with my beloved characters – Rutshire’s finest.

‘And it has been a fairytale come true working with Happy Prince and Disney+ on the first season. 

‘I’m orgasmic with excitement and cannot wait for the return of my superhero Rupert Campbell-Black and the rest of the characters in season two.’

While there is no official release date yet for season two, based on the first season’s production schedule, a 2026 release, potentially in the latter half of the year, seems likely, according to Harper’s Bazaar.