The rise of 'real bodies' as curvy Emily Atack dazzles nude in Rivals

Emily Atack has been praised for her racy performance in the raucous Disney+ series Rivals, stripping off for nude tennis scenes and lingerie-clad romps in the new 'bonkbuster'.

Jilly Cooper's TV adaptation hasn't shied away from flashing the flesh, with Emily's curves at the forefront of the provocative scenes.

Emily, who plays the 'extremely promiscuous' wife of the Deputy Prime Minister, Sarah Stratton, has described stripping naked in scenes 'so liberating'.

All within the first 25 minutes of the first episode, viewers are treated to a raunchy sex montage - which sees Emily strip down to black lingerie. 

The actress then strips naked to play tennis with Alex Hassell's character Rupert Campbell Black, who is also starkers. 

Emily is completely nude in the eye-popping scene, where she protects her modesty with a just tennis ball and racket. 

However she stressed that she was unbothered by the prospect of baring all, explaining on The Chris Myles Show on Radio X that she was more intimidated by the thought of playing tennis.

'It was so funny, because when they sent me the script, they said, "You know, you're going to have to play tennis naked." That was one of the things they said. And I said, "Disney, there is no way on Earth you're going to get me to play tennis!"

'That's genuinely what I was worried about. I was like, "No way!" But yeah. So, once I got past all that bit, read the script, I was like, "Yeah, this is made for me, this role." Those roles come along very rarely, and it just spoke to me.'

As well as Emily, her co-star Alex dares to bare in the cheeky game of tennis.

Emily's character Sarah is married to Deputy Prime Minister Paul Stratton but is having a fling on the side with Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black, played by Alex.

After the racy tennis scene, Emily gets intimate with her on-screen husband while a gay couple performs oral sex in a parallel scene.

In the sex montage, the camera then pans to Danny Dyer, who plays Freddie Jones, and David Tennant, who stars as Tony, jumping into bed naked with Nafessa Williams, who plays Cameron - despite his wife at home alone.

Reflecting on the sex scenes, she added: 'When you're there and you're doing it, it's really not what it seems in in real life. Like, when you're doing a sex scene, for example, there's nothing sexy about it! It's hilarious! You know, we all get the giggles, but we're all very professional. And in this day and age, you have intimacy coordinators, it’s a very different thing. 

'You have people putting a robe on you as soon as they yell cut, you know? And also, it really helps when you have someone like Alex Hassell, who's just the loveliest gentleman in the world. And yeah, as long as everybody is safe and being professional, and getting on with it, yeah, I'm just there, doing my job, having a lovely time!'

Emily even revealed that she has a fan in Hollywood superstar Ryan Reynolds. 

Recounting the premiere for the new series, she said:  'The premier was great. And yeah, everyone seems to be loving it. So, it's great. Ryan Reynolds spoke about it on Instagram.

'He put up a story about it last night... Ryan Reynolds has seen my bum!'

Emily has been outspoken about body positivity after a wave of cruel comments from trolls about her fluctuating weight over the years.

She told Stylist that she doesn't let the trolls get her down, regardless of where she sits on the scales, explaining: 'Luckily I have a wonderful life full of love and friendship and I have my health, so I take strength from that. I won’t bow to a stranger who felt a desire to call me out on my double chins.'

She also said that her weight has had no impact on the number of compliments she has received.

In 2019 she told Closer magazine that at her heaviest, she was actually at her happiest. 

'I've realised that I'm probably the biggest I've ever been. I weigh 11st,' she said.

'I've never weighed 11st, but I'm doing everything I've always wanted to do.

'My life is the best it's ever been, and I get more compliments now than I ever have before.

'I look back at photographs of when I was slimmer, looking a bit gaunt, and I was definitely unhappier.'

Emily previously told Sky News that any criticism of Rivals' unflinching scenes was unwarranted.

'It's so liberating and of course there are going to be people out there that take what you do and try and spin this negative narrative on it. I'm a woman, of course people are going to do that,' she said

'But what I need to keep doing is stressing to people is I'm exactly where I need to be, I'm at work. I'm playing a role and I'm very comfortable.'

Like Emily and Bridgerton's latest leading lady Nicola Coughlan, Melissa McCarthy, Rebel Wilson and Queen Latifah have all excelled in the film-making industry as voluptuous actresses.

Since filmmakers relaxed the standards of fashion and dress size, it has allowed viewers to feel represented.

Using 'real bodies' like Melissa, Rebel, Queen Latifah, Emily and Nicola on screen moves the old narrative that 'all lead actresses are thin' to shift.

Nicola was applauded for promoting body positivity in her leading, sexy role in Bridgerton.

Throughout the series, Nicola - who plays Penelope Featherington in the hit show - wows in plenty of racy scenes, as well as a naked sex scene.

During a special screening Q&A in Dublin about the new episodes, a female journalist commented that she was 'very brave' to play the role of Penelope Featherington - which some fans branded a 'backhanded comment'. 

And in a video captured by Goss.ie, Nicola then brilliantly responded saying: 'You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type - women with perfect breasts - we don't get to see ourselves on screen enough!' 

'And I'm very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.'

Fans of the star were quick to respond to the moment that has begun circulating on social media as they said: 'It must have been one of those insulting, backhanded comments. Nicola's clever!'

'Great response, shame we don't see Luke's reaction lol', 'Brilliant! Next question!', 'Icon behavior', 'She's my queen.'

When promoting the series, the Emily spoke openly about her rise to fame on The Inbetweeners and how it shaped it career. 

She told The Guardian: 'I was a very vulnerable teenager, but there was an air of kind of naive confidence in me. I thought, "I need this job, I need to pay my rent." And from there, my life changed for ever.' 

As The Inbetweeners found huge success, Emily soon found herself booked for magazine shoots. 

She said: 'This is where I get confused. And I was confused then,' admitted Emily. 'I was told, "You’ve got a photoshoot today" and it would be for Loaded magazine, or for FHM... So I was all, "Yep, clothes off, bikini on. Whatever." Genuinely, I had no problems with that - I enjoyed those shoots.

'I was celebrating my youth and my sexuality in beautiful locations, wearing gorgeous underwear... and I f****** loved it. It was great. I naively didn’t think what narrative was being painted for me.'

Unfortunately, she soon became a target for a torrent of online abuse which included fat-shaming and cyber flashing.

But to those people who have suggested the actress should've seen that coming, Emily insisted she didn't show herself off in an 'overtly sexual way' and was instead simply promoting her work.

After The Inbetweeners, 13 films (including Get Lucky and Outside Bet) followed, where Emily played similar 'totty' roles.

Despite the mainly British movies often promising that it would chart the course to Hollywood for the actress, Emily recalled how one brutal meeting in LA ended with her being told she had to become a UK size six to be considered for any future roles.

She said: 'All of a sudden, my weight was a thing. And since then, my weight has always been a thing.' 

But in 2018 her career improved significantly once again after she appeared on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! and won second place behind Harry Redknapp - a TV comedy series, called The Emily Atack Show, and a one-woman standup show followed.

However, the actress revealed how still had to deal with trolls and critics who claimed women couldn't be funny.