Heated Rivalry actor François Arnaud has fiercely slammed fan theories that he is secretly dating his costar Connor Storrie as he detailed the ‘scary’ attention that has come with the show’s popularity.

The steamy HBO Max show, which is adapted from a series of novels by author Rachel Reid, focuses on the romance and rivalry between a pair of male hockey players from Canada and Russia.

It has quickly become one of the most talked about television shows in pop culture, turning each of the stars into worldwide sensations.

But Arnaud, who played Scott Hunter in the series, recently spoke to the Toronto Star about being thrust into the spotlight practically ‘overnight,’ and he confessed that some parts have been difficult for him.

Since the show premiered in November, many fans have become convinced that Storrie and Hudson Williams – who portrayed lovers Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander – have feelings for each other in real life, with wild theories that they’re secretly in a relationship erupting online.

But after Arnaud and Storrie were seen getting on a plane together in New York last week, it sparked new speculation that Arnaud and Storrie were romantically together instead – which in turn led to massive backlash for Arnaud from those who want Storrie and Hudson to be together.

‘In general, fans have been incredibly positive and respectful.

‘For the ones that aren’t, I think it’s a lot of younger fans who don’t really understand the difference between reality and fiction,’ Arnaud said in response to the theories.

‘I honestly wish they would just rewatch the show, because it doesn’t seem like they got its message,’ he quipped. ‘Pay attention closely. Did we watch the same show?’

Arnaud described that attention from the show as ‘incredible’ but ‘also a bit scary.’

‘I remember telling my agent, “I think this is going to be a worldwide sensation.” But I did not think that it would happen overnight like it did,’ he admitted.

‘It’s a thing to deal with… to be witnessed at all times. I can’t go out on the street at all without being recognized in 20 seconds.

‘I’ve always valued normalcy, and so there’s an adjustment period there.’

He said it has become so intense that he is now considering moving to a new home in Los Angeles.

‘I’m like, “Oh, maybe a little bungalow with street access, not on a gated property, is not the best thing.” So yeah, I’m moving into a building with a doorman,’ he revealed.

He also revealed that he’s had to delete X (formerly Twitter) off his phone amidst the constant posts online and is spending much less time on Instagram.

‘It’s nice. It’s giving me an excuse to just log off and not pay attention to that,’ he added.

Despite the downsides, he insisted that he is proud of his participation in the show, particularly because of the ‘really joyous’ and ‘hopeful’ message behind it.

‘There’s something really joyous about the show’s message, something hopeful,’ he dished.

‘We’re so over-informed now. It’s really hard to just look at the news at all. There are characters with struggles on the show, but ultimately, you feel that pull toward happiness.’