Jack Innanen Won’t Star In Heated Rivalry Season 2 After All, Source Claims

It seems that Canadian star Jack Innanen will not be appearing in the second season of Heated Rivalry after all.

And let’s just say, the show’s always-rational fan community haven’t exactly taken the news well.

However, on Wednesday, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that this would not be happening after all, citing a “source close to production” who claimed that Jack was offered the chance to join the cast, but had to turn it down due to scheduling issues.

While at the moment, we only have this undisclosed “source” to go off, the news has still spread quickly throughout the Heated Rivalry fandom, with many voicing their disappointment at no longer having the prospect of Jack joining the show to look forward to…

HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Jack Innanen and the Canadian broadcaster Crave for comment.

Heated Rivalry became an unexpected TV phenomenon when it premiered on Crave last year, making household names of its lead stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, and gaining an even bigger international audience when it was picked up by the streaming service HBO Max in the US.

Adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers young adult novel series, the show was quickly snapped up for a second season at the beginning of this year.

Filming on the new episodes is due to get underway later this year, ahead of its release in April 2027.

Showrunner Jacob Tierney told Variety in December 2025: “We understand that everybody’s goal is to not do two years between seasons. And at the same time, I don’t want to put out a rushed shitty second season just because the show is very popular.

“But we’re very aware that our creative partners are enthusiastic and don’t want to wait too long. We’re getting back to work!”

Season one of Heated Rivalry is available to stream on Sky and Now in the UK.