Emily Atack has shared new details about her upcoming wedding to fiancé Alistair Garner, describing the celebration as a lively three-day event filled with family, friends and familiar faces from the cast of Rivals.
The actress, who recently returned to screens for the second season of the hit drama, said life has become increasingly busy following the birth of the couple’s son, Barney, in June 2024 and their engagement announcement last year. Despite the hectic pace, she described the period as one of the happiest times in her life.
Atack revealed that preparations for the wedding are well underway and said the event is expected to be a large celebration attended by many of her closest friends and colleagues. Among those involved is her “Rivals” co-star Rufus Jones, who has been asked to deliver a reading during the ceremony.
She said she has enjoyed the planning process and expects the multi-day occasion to be both joyful and chaotic.
The actress also spoke candidly about motherhood as her son approaches his second birthday later this year. While she admitted she adores babies, Atack said she is currently focused on raising Barney and has no immediate plans to expand the family.
Atack described pregnancy as physically demanding and said she and Garner are only now beginning to settle into a more stable routine after becoming parents. She added that their son keeps them constantly occupied.
The actress returned to work only 11 weeks after giving birth, travelling to Budapest to film the drama series The Rumour. She recalled the experience as particularly difficult due to the physical recovery following childbirth, but said she pushed forward with work commitments despite the challenges.
Atack credited Garner for providing strong support at home, describing their parenting dynamic as balanced and collaborative. She also praised her mother, Kate Robbins, for being heavily involved in family life.
Robbins, widely known for her work on Spitting Image, is also set to appear in the second season of “Rivals.” According to Atack, Barney has formed a particularly close bond with his grandmother.
Over the past few years, Atack’s professional career has undergone a significant transformation. After gaining widespread recognition as Charlotte Hinchcliffe in The Inbetweeners, she moved between acting, reality television and presenting work before eventually returning to scripted drama.
She previously appeared in Dad’s Army alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones and later became runner-up on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2018. She also fronted The Emily Atack Show and released the documentary Emily Atack: Asking for It?, which explored online harassment and abuse.
Following her departure from Celebrity Juice, Atack decided to focus on acting once again, a move she described as a major professional risk that ultimately paid off with her casting in “Rivals.”
She said the series has had a transformative impact on her career and compared its success to the level of attention she experienced during her time on “The Inbetweeners.”
The drama, adapted from Rivals by Jilly Cooper, follows the fierce rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black, played by Alex Hassell, and television executive Lord Tony Baddingham, portrayed by David Tennant.
Atack also reflected on the death of Cooper, who died aged 88 during production on the second season after suffering a head injury in a fall at her home in Gloucestershire. She remembered the novelist as energetic and full of enthusiasm for the adaptation, saying her passing deeply affected the cast and crew.
According to Atack, the upcoming season serves as a tribute to Cooper and celebrates the legacy she left behind. The second season of “Rivals” is scheduled to begin streaming on Disney+ from 15 May.
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Source: Owink
