It says a lot that Aidan Turner doesn’t think he’s in enviable shape in Rivals. Sure, he’s not quite as shredded as he was playing the titular character in Poldark, but that was a decade ago, when he was in his early 30s. Plus, he wanted a more believable physique to portray his Rivals character, Declan – even if he’s still in impressive shape at 43.

‘He’s a dad and he’s a journalist so I think it’d be a bit weird [to appear too sculpted],’ Turner told Us Weekly. ‘I’ve often seen actors in films or TV shows where their character’s job doesn’t necessarily call for them to be [muscly]. So you see them naked and you are going, “Hold on a second, I know what that takes. I know the hours, the dieting and the strenuous physical activity. I know you don’t have time for that.”

‘I didn’t want it to be one of those moments where it’s just a TV body. I want it to feel real. I tend to keep fairly in shape. So the pressure was all me.’

For that reason, Turner wasn’t aiming for a shredded torso or bulky frame in Rivals, instead opting for a more achievable physique his character could realistically have had in the 1980s. Not that he isn’t still in great shape – Turner remains noticeably fit – but the role required less obsessive dieting and relentless gym work.

It’s an approach he clearly preferred, which is no surprise considering his lean Poldark physique was reportedly achieved through extreme discipline, two workouts a day and fasting until 7pm.

‘We don’t really see Declan train, his passion is his work. You have to work hard to achieve certain things with other roles, but that wasn’t required here, which was freeing,’ Turner told Radio Times.

Still, he looks back fondly on the physique that made him famous.

‘There are worse things to be known for than having a nice physique,’ Turner told The Telegraph. ‘But that was a long time ago and I’ve done a lot of fully clothed work since.’

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_