Sex scenes are liberating! Nafessa Williams on Rivals, racism, and self-belief

Sex scenes involve a lot more padding and tape than you might expect! Rivals actress Nafessa Williams has found being at the centre of one of TV’s sexiest shows both nerve-wracking and incredibly liberating. In this chat with Fearne, Nafessa explores what it means to play the only black woman in a white man's world in 1980s Britain, and why she sees her acting as her contribution to activism and representation. Do you consider yourself to be ambitious and driven? Nafessa wonders if you rest as hard as you work... because you should! Plus, how to manifest the life you want, without forgetting the key component: action! Watch Rivals series 2 on Disney+ from May 15th. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Rhonda Byrne Leigh-Anne Pinnock Afua Hirsch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can listen to Sex scenes are liberating! Nafessa Williams on Rivals, racism, and self-belief online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Sex scenes are liberating! Nafessa Williams on Rivals, racism, and self-belief is an episode from Happy Place by Fearne Cotton.

This episode is 48:17 long.

This episode was published on May 11, 2026.

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