‘I feel safe now’ says Emily Atack as she opens up about the love of her life and motherhood
EMILY Atack has heaped praise on her partner Alistair Garner for finally making her “feel safe”.
The 34-year-old welcomed her first child – son Barney – with Alistair in June.
The couple were first pictured together in September 2023, but have known each other for years after Alistair’s father was married to Emily’s aunt.
Now in a new interview, Emily – who recently returned to screens in raunchy Disney+ series Rivals – has opened up about the peace she has found in her relationship and as a new mum.
She said: “I feel like my whole life had been building up to that moment, not just getting a part in that show but also my personal life. It feels like the stars have aligned. That is genuinely how it feels.”
Emily added to The Times: “I used to pray to God that I would end up with somebody who made me feel safe, and I’m safe with Al now.”
Emily’s happiness comes after years of dating turmoil, and she admitted: “For such a long time I had found dating hard and lonely.”
The star first found fame on The Inbetweeners, where her character Charlotte was nicknamed “Big Jugs”, but the role often lead to unwanted attention from men or misconceptions about who she really was.
Thankfully, Alistair had known Emily long before she became famous, and so when they reconnected as adults after not seeing each other for 12 years, love blossomed naturally.
During the interview, she recalled how she had just finished filming Rivals when she rushed to support Alistair as his father died.
Emily said: “We were together at the deathbed and then afterwards we left the room and hugged. We held each other for about 20 minutes and we just knew. This was love, this was real.”
However their lives couldn’t be more different, as Alistair is a nuclear physicist with a PhD.
Despite having dated famous people in the past, Emily said: “It was never going to be a pop star or a film star. It was never going to be that. I’ve done all that.
“I needed security, a solid, stoical person. And I just love how safe I feel. I am completely at peace. I don’t think I ever experienced proper love before because this is it.”
She concluded: “I know Al will look after me and Barney. I know he will be the best father and the best husband eventually.
“I am happier than I ever thought I could be.”
Emily’s full interview is available in The Times. Rivals is available on Disney+