Alert – Emily Atack insists ‘getting her kit off’ in sexy new role doesn’t undermine her message about violence against women as she says ‘it shouldn’t matter’

Emily Atack has insisted that ‘getting her kit off’ does not undermine her campaigning to end violence against women.

The actress, 34, portrays promiscuous character Sarah Stratton in Disney+ series Rivals, which has been dubbed the streamer’s ‘sexiest show yet’. 

In one scene from the adaptation based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s best selling novels, Emily – who shot to fame as Charlotte Hincliffe in The Inbetweeners – stripped naked along with her co-star while playing tennis in the garden.

But in a new interview, the star has reassured that playing a character that uses sex as a way of getting ahead does not deplete her message at all, as she insists ‘it shouldn’t matter’.

She told The Mirror: ‘I know lots of people will say, “Hang on a minute. One minute she’s talking about violence against women, the next minute she’s getting her kit off in a show. That doesn’t correlate”, but what I’m trying to show is that it should not matter at all.’

Emily Atack has insisted that ‘getting her kit off’ does not undermine her campaigning to end violence against women.

In a new interview, the star has reassured that playing a character that uses sex as a way of getting ahead does not deplete her message at all, as she insists ‘it doesn’t correlate’

Emily earlier this year starred in a ‘provocative’ campaign using the slogan ‘I’m asking for it’ which calls for a change in the laws on rape and sexual assault. 

The TV star also previously explored the alarming rise in online sexual harassment for BBC2 documentary Emily Atack: Asking For It after experiencing repeated daily abuse across her Instagram and TikTok accounts. 

Emily said one of her regular online abusers is a married father who frequently creates fake accounts in order to send her sexually explicit messages.

She previously explained her motivation for campaigning for tougher laws concerning harassment and the impact it has on her and her family’s mental health.

Meanwhile, Emily went on to reveal how ‘perfect’ the role of Sarah was for her, as she continued: ‘As soon as I read it, I got the same feeling that I got when I first auditioned for Charlotte from The Inbetweeners; the same little thrill in my stomach of, “Oh my god, this is perfect for me”.’

The blonde beauty added that there are roles that come along in life that ‘completely grab you’ which you feel you are ‘made for’.

During the chat, Emily also gushed over the different sides of her character, noting she was an ‘honour’ to play.

She said: ‘Sarah’s extremely promiscuous, but she’s also funny. There’s a comedy edge there. It was such an honour to be able to play a role like that when women haven’t always been written very well, especially women like this.’

The actress, 34, portrays promiscuous character Sarah Stratton in Disney+ series Rivals, which has been dubbed the streamer’s ‘sexiest show yet’ 

In one scene from the adaptation based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s best selling novels, Emily – who shot to fame as Charlotte Hincliffe in The Inbetweeners – stripped naked along with her co-star while playing tennis in the garden

‘I know lots of people will say, “Hang on a minute. One minute she’s talking about violence against women, the next minute she’s getting her kit off in a show. That doesn’t correlate”, but what I’m trying to show is that it should not matter at all’

Emily earlier this year starred in a ‘provocative’ campaign using the slogan ‘I’m asking for it’ which calls for a change in the laws on rape and sexual assault 

Noting that it could have been easy to portray the character as ‘completely stereotypical and unlikeable’, Emily shared that she immediately fell in ‘love’ with the ‘instantly likeable’ character, adding that it was in ‘my bones’ to portrays roles such as this. 

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Guardian, Emily touched on how refreshing it is to play a role like Sarah as she noted that women like her ‘have been villainised for ever’, noting that if they if they’re the mistress, they have ‘nothing to offer but their boobs, their sexuality.’

Discussing the challenges women faced during the 80s era in which the show is set, the star added: ‘There’s a generation of people my mum’s sort of age who say, “Oh yeah, I got groped all the time,” for whom that is completely normal behaviour. That’s why it’s very difficult sometimes to discuss it with your parents – for me personally, anyway.’

During the interview, Emily spoke of soaring to fame as schoolgirl Charlotte in comedy show The Inbetweeners, in which the character was nicknamed ‘big jugs’.

While the actress noted that she ‘f**king loved’ getting glam and stripping down to a bikini for sexy lads mags photoshoots to promote the show, she noted the quick change as she soon became the target for abuse as a certain ‘narrative’ as painted about her.

After enduring a torrent of online abuse which included fat-shaming and cyber flashing, Emily shared: ‘People go, “How can you not expect it? You’re stood up there in your pants, going, ‘Look at me!’” But in my head, I wasn’t doing that. I wasn’t putting myself out there in an overtly sexual way. Genuinely, I was just doing a photoshoot to promote my work.’

With the star being both slammed for being ‘over-weight’ while being branded the ‘sexiest woman in Britain’ by a lads mag, Emily added that she was constantly left ‘confused’ and didn’t know whether she was ‘really beautiful or really ugly.’ 

Meanwhile, Emily went on to reveal how ‘perfect’ the role of Sarah was for her, as she continued: ‘As soon as I read it, I got the same feeling that I got when I first auditioned for Charlotte from The Inbetweeners; the same little thrill in my stomach’

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Guardian , Emily touched on how refreshing it is to play a role like Sarah as she noted that women like her ‘have been villainised for ever’

During the interview, Emily spoke of soaring to fame as schoolgirl Charlotte in comedy show The Inbetweeners, in which the character was nicknamed ‘big jugs’, with the star going on to recent a torrent of online abuse [pictured on the show with co-star Simon Bird] 

The raunchy show is based on Jilly’s 1988 novel, and follows the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986.

The story focuses on the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and stars Emily as Sarah Stratton.

The sexy character is described as ambitious and not afraid to use her looks to get to the top.

In the trailer, Tennant plays the ambitious and egotistical controller of Corinium Television and is a far cry from his usual jovial self.

He’s seen shouldering a rifle and wearing a tweed jacket with a matching tie and flat cap, while encouraging his friend to shoot with him and spend his newfound wealth.

At the very start of the trailer, Bella Maclean tells Aiden that ‘exciting things are about to happen to them,’ which sets the precedent for the whole sexy affair.

For the show, the Poldark star has also undergone a transformation, sporting a distinctive moustache to play TV presenter Declan O’Hara, who brings his wife and children to Lord Tony Baddingham’s new estate.

Declan is described as fiercely intellectual, with an even fiercer temper, and is wooed to Corinium TV from the BBC by Tony.

But tensions soon rise and throughout the trailer Aiden is spotted getting into fistfights to protect his daughter (played by Bella Maclean) from rakish toffs.

Characters such as the dashing ex-Olympian, Member of Parliament, incorrigible flirt, and dangerously charismatic Rupert Campbell-Black.  

According to Disney+, Rivals is a ‘joyously mischievous rollercoaster ride, steamy in its love stories and packed with larger-than-life characters.’

According to Disney+, Rivals is a ‘joyously mischievous rollercoaster ride, steamy in its love stories and packed with larger-than-life characters.’ 

Led by David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Alex Hassell, Rivals boasts an impressively star-studded cast  (Aidan pictured)

The racy eight-part series is based on Jilly Cooper’s raunchy 1988 novel, and follows the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986 

The streaming service continues that it brings a ‘2020s lens to the 1980s’, offering a ‘raw exploration of a complicated moment in British history when class, race, sex, wealth, and sexual liberation meant that, for the very privileged few, there were no limits to what they could achieve’.

In Jilly’s Rutshire Chronicles universe, marriages are largely of convenience, with wives accepting ‘boys will be boys’.

Men are applauded for their caddish tendencies – while weight is referenced in a way that would not be acceptable to a modern audience.

One wife proudly announces that she weighs seven stone and that anyone larger than a size six is fat. Another is referred to as ‘poor fat Sharon’.

It also features powerful man approaching 40 hitching up with a young woman yet to turn 19.