Emily Atack has revealed that she is welcoming a baby boy with her partner Dr Alistair Garner.
The 34-year-old announced the news at the beginning of January, with a snap of her baby bump on Instagram, saying she was “over the moon”.
Now, the TV star has confirmed that she is expecting a son in April as she appeared on Tuesday’s BBC Breakfast to discuss her advocacy around changing sex consent laws for both men and women.
Atack admitted that she didn't plan on revealing his gender but hopes her son’s future will be improved by the affirmative consent campaign with Right To Equality.
She shared: “I'm six months [pregnant] and I wasn't going to say this, but I am going to say this - I'm having a boy.
“So I want him to be a part of a really positive change and I want him to grow up knowing he can talk about these things openly and enjoy his life. I want him to be on the right side of history.”
Affirmative consent signifies that “anything less than a clear, uncoerced, and informed confirmation of consent like ‘yes’ cannot qualify as consent in the eyes of the law.”
This means that consent must be communicated willingly, rather than inferred from the absence of a "no", and it can be revoked at any point and not be gained by threats, force or coercion.
The aim of this shift is to alleviate the burden on victims to prove non-consent and place more responsibility on the accused. This change is expected to address the alarmingly low rape conviction rates in the UK, which stood at only 2 percent from 2021 to 2022.
On Monday, Atack announced that she was joining the campaign, with powerful Instagram post featuring her face and the words “I’m asking for it”.
She wrote: “Ahead of International Women’s Day this week I’m pleased to be announcing my latest campaign, working with Right To Equality to push for affirmative consent to be in the law.
“One in five think No can mean Yes when it comes to sex… this absolutely floored me.
“We need to start asking for consent, and asking for it now. No more ‘implied consent’ – only a Yes should mean Yes. That’s the Affirmative Consent standard and I’m asking for it.”
