Emily Atack has come a long way since playing Charlotte “Big Jugs” Hinchcliffe on hit comedy The Inbetweeners. Now one of the panellists on Celebrity Juice, Emily, 32, also has a best-selling book and a self-titled stand-up show to her name. She even finished as runner-up to Harry Redknapp on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2018.
Emily spoke of “finding herself” in the jungle and she tells us that, since then, she has also discovered better ways to respond to the people around her too.
“With each year that passes I learn more resilience and gain more strength,” she reveals. “I stay the same person deep down and I’ve known me for a very long time. But I’ve learned how to deal with other people around me and how to deal with the craziness of the industry I am in,” she adds.
Emily’s introspection comes after she hit the headlines late last year over her rumoured relationship with Manchester City and England footballer Jack Grealish. The pair allegedly went on “secret dates” but in January, Emily reportedly cut ties with Jack – who has had an on-off relationship with model Sasha Attwood for more than 10 years.
So it’s no surprise that Emily tells us she’s often drawn in the wrong direction. “I try and stay away from things that aren’t good for me,” she says. “It’s hard when you are a little mischievous like me!”
Emily – who has also been linked to former One Direction star Harry Styles and comedian Seann Walsh – has previously expressed her desire to settle down and start her own family, despite her unlucky-in-love reputation.
When asked which life lesson has been the toughest to swallow, she shares, “That sometimes some people and some things are just not meant for you.”
Earlier this year, Emily revealed that she receives hundreds of sexually explicit messages every single day, which no doubt takes its toll on her. “Before breakfast, I’ve seen about 10 penises I have not asked to see. If someone sends me a sexually explicit message, I’m like, ‘Why have they said that to me?’ It makes you question who you are and why you’re single,” she says.
But Emily can always rely on her adorable pet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to be there for her. “It’s great having my little Penny around to keep me company when I’m having an off-day,” she tells us. “Dogs are a great reason to get outdoors for a long walk to clear your mind.”
Emily adds that Penny keeps her on the straight and narrow. “I have no choice but to get up and out of bed to walk her. Even if I’m knackered and don’t want to get up, she motivates me to be up and about and get things done because she’s my responsibility now.”
Known for her quick wit and great sense of humour, Emily was the perfect choice to join the Celebrity Juice panel alongside Keith Lemon and Laura Whitmore.
Speaking about the show, Emily reveals, “It’s amazing. We are such good mates. It’s one of my favourite jobs I’ve ever done. I’m so lucky I get to mess around with my friends for TV and call it work. We have such a laugh. I never want it to end!”
It seems that she has already ticked a lot of things off her bucket list with writing best-selling memoir Are We There Yet? To Indignity... and Beyond! in 2019 and releasing her podcast Emily Atack : Lie Detector last year. Reflecting on her remaining ambitions, Emily tells us, “I wouldn’t say no to starting a new podcast that was solely about something close to my heart. Maybe when I’ve got a bit more time!”
But what she has managed to squeeze in is creating a summer collection with high-street favourite New Look. “I absolutely love the vibes of my edit,” the clearly proud star tells us. “It’s colourful and fun. It’s the first time in a couple of years that we can really enjoy some freedom and show off some new clothes properly. There’s nothing better than making plans with friends and family to sit in a nice pub garden – the perfect excuse to wear some of my New Look edit,” she says.
“I do have a very busy summer ahead though,” she adds. “I will be back filming the next series of The
Emily Atack Show among many other things. So the pub gardens may have to wait a bit!”
While Emily – who is one of three children to mum Kate Robbins and dad Keith Atack – proves she doesn’t need a man to make her happy, she admits that the real love of her life is her family.
“Me and my family are all incredibly close. They are my life. My real life,” she reveals. “We’ve all been through so much together and nothing can ever break us. I’m so unbelievably lucky to have them.”
