Comedian Margaret Cho recently said on the podcast “I Never Liked You” that she turned down the opportunity to appear on “Heat Rivalry” because the show was filmed in Canada and because she didn’t want to travel outside the United States during President Donald Trump’s second term.
When asked if there were any roles that he overachieved for, Cho answered, “There are things I should have done but didn’t do.” “Last year, I got a pilot script for a show that I love, but it was shot in Canada, and I was so vocal about hating ICE and hating this administration that I was so scared. I thought, ‘I’m going to be detained at the border, and if I go, I’m going to be put in ICE detention.'”
She continued, “I was struggling with it and I talked to a lot of people about it and I was so upset about it that I said no. And that was ‘hot rivalry.'”
Since then, Cho said he has been watching “Heat Rivalry” and has even “hosted a few rewatch parties.” She also made sure to repeat that “it’s all Trump’s fault” about why she left the show.
“Heat Rivalry” hit HBO Max and Canadian streamer Crave in November 2025 and quickly became one of the most talked about shows on streaming. Based on the book series by Rachel Reid, this sexy homosexual drama follows up-and-coming hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Conor Storey, as they maintain a facade as arch-rivals on the rink while harboring secrets. Off-ice romance.
“Incandescent Rivals” has been renewed for a second season in December 2025.
