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‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Expands Cast with Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Aug 13, 12:09 PM EDT

‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Expands Cast with Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka

Crave’s highly watched comedy drama adds five performers for its second season, with the streaming platform’s original series leaning into new character energy as production gears up.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Crave Original series Heated Rivalry is expanding its Season 2 cast with the addition of Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka, Deadline reported on August 13, 2026. The casting announcements add well-known performers from comedy, drama and genre television, positioning the second season to bring new story dynamics to the Canadian streamer’s follow-up run.

Hampshire joins the series as one of the newly announced additions. Deadline’s report lists her recent and prior credits including Schitt’s Creek and Marvel’s VisionQuest, among other work. Her casting indicates an attempt to broaden the show’s recognizable on-screen range as it returns for additional episodes.

Ryding is also set to appear in Season 2, according to the Deadline report. His credits cited in the announcement include The Young Royals and 28 Years Later. The show’s producer and casting team are bringing in talent with experience across youth-skewed drama and international film franchise visibility.

Robert Naylor will join the Season 2 cast as well. Deadline cites his work on Mile End Kicks and Cardinal, which spans both comedic and procedural dramatic formats. Sabrina Jalees, listed as another new cast member, is credited in the report with I Used to Be Funny and Black Mirror, reflecting a mix of stand-up driven material and anthology-series genre work.

Priyanka rounds out the newly announced Season 2 additions, with Deadline noting credits including Drag Brunch Saved My Life and Meet Me Next Christmas. With her casting, the series adds a performer associated with live and scripted entertainment, in an announcement that aligns with the show’s broader comedic and relationship-focused appeal.

Deadline did not describe character roles or episode counts in the casting announcement, and no production start date or release window was included in the information provided. The series is described as a massively popular Crave Original, but specific viewing figures or audience benchmarks were not included in the report.

The next steps for viewers will depend on Crave’s Season 2 rollout plan, including promotional materials and episode details that typically follow casting announcements. For the cast, the additions also suggest near-term scheduling commitments as production advances toward filming and post-production.

For now, Heated Rivalry’s Season 2 remains defined primarily by its expanded roster, with the public announcement serving as the clearest report of what the show’s creative team is prioritizing: bringing in performers with established track records across comedy, drama and high-profile genre projects.

Why It Matters

  • Season 2 casting announcements can shape early audience expectations and the series’ marketing approach ahead of a release date.
  • The added performers bring experience from recognizable mainstream and genre projects, which may influence how the show positions its cast-driven storylines.
  • For Crave, expanding the series’ ensemble can help maintain viewership momentum for a flagship original as production moves into the next phase.
  • Cast changes can affect scheduling and availability for other projects, making Season 2 a near-term work focus for the newly added actors.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Crave Original series Heated Rivalry added five cast members for Season 2: Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees and Priyanka.
  • Deadline reported the casting expansion on August 13, 2026.
  • Deadline listed Hampshire’s credits as Schitt’s Creek and Marvel’s VisionQuest.
  • Deadline listed Ryding’s credits as The Young Royals and 28 Years Later.
  • Deadline listed Naylor’s credits as Mile End Kicks and Cardinal.
  • Deadline listed Jalees’s credits as I Used to Be Funny and Black Mirror.
  • Deadline listed Priyanka’s credits as Drag Brunch Saved My Life and Meet Me Next Christmas.