Rivals’ Emily Atack hits back at ‘hypocrisy’ claims over sex scenes

What did you miss?

Emily Atack has insisted “yes you can” take part in steamy Rivals sex scenes while campaigning against sexual violence, as she hit back at critics who accused her of hypocrisy.

Atack plays Sarah Stratton in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel, with the show famous for its many scenes of nudity and sex.

But Atack, who recently made a documentary about the sexual violence and harassment she and other women have been subjected to, said she didn’t agree she had to “make a choice.” I have to be.”

What, how and why?

Emily Atack has made headlines lately for her role in Rivals, but told Loose Women that she had received some criticism for balancing the Jilly Cooper adaptation’s many sex scenes with her campaign work against sexual violence.

The actor and comedian, who plays Sarah Stratton in the Disney+ series, released the documentary Asking For It? in 2023 about the sexual harassment she has faced, and she has continued her campaign work on the issue.

Asked by Loose Women how she felt about the nudity and sex in Rivals, she said: “I’m actually fine with it. It’s so funny because people, well wait a minute, you have to choose a job. That can’t be like that.” someone who plays these kinds of roles, but also campaigns against sexual violence against women.

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“People think you can’t do both and I’m really trying to get the message across that yes, you can. I’m exactly where I need to be: at work in a professional environment. In the past that’s clearly been the case. not always like that, but we have intimacy coordinators, it’s heavily choreographed, we all have a good time because we’re professionals, safe, and I’m doing my job.

“I’m not going to change what I do, it’s other people’s behavior that needs to change.”

About the reactions from some quarters, she added to her documentary: “As women, we are so used to thinking about our behavior and what we wear, that we cannot go jogging in the dark, we have to take a different route home All we’re saying is that men now need to look inward at their own behavior that they’ve been getting away with for years, and that some men – not all men – can’t bear to look inward and change their behavior .We’ve had to do it forever.”

On how she would raise her own newborn son about harassment as he got older, she said: “I’m not going to be a perfect parent, there’s no such thing, but this is my chance, there are so many more reasons why I’m going to continue campaigning. I want my son to grow up in a world where women are treated better.”

What else did Emily Atack say?

Atack also talked about the amazing time she had making Rivals, saying, “We all need this right now, there are so many terrible things happening in the world and it’s escapism.”

She added: “I think I was born in the wrong era, the 80s are kind of mine. They all drank champagne during the day, it was great, normalized it.

“It was the best job I’ve ever done in my life. The cast was great, people say don’t meet your heroes – I met them all and they’re all my friends now and they’re just great. “

Atack, who stars in the show alongside David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer, said: “The other day I went out to promote Rivals and I left (my son) and my partner in bed and I looked and I thought : life doesn’t get better than this, I have to take this moment in.”

Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV1.