Aidan Turner feared he was being 'sacked' from Rivals when Jilly Cooper died Actor Aidan Turner feared he was being "sacked" from his TV show Rivals when Jilly Cooper - the author behind the book on which the series is based - died because there was such a strange atmosphere o 1 May 2026 Aidan Turner feared he was about to be "sacked" from Rivals on the day Jilly Cooper died.