EMILY ATACK
The comedian, actress and TV panellist now has a podcast too, adding another string to her bow – and one with a more serious note
chats about her latest projects
Emily Atack is one busy lady. The Celebrity Juice team captain is prepping for a second series of her hit sketch show later this year, while also putting the last-minute touches to her forthcoming stand-up tour. She has also just started her own podcast, Emily Atack: Lie Detector, which focuses on deceit and the lies told to us.
The 31-year-old – a popular runner-up in 2018’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – hopes her fans will see a different side to her as she delves into true stories of deception – including a woman who discovered her husband was already married and a man who masterminded a multimillion-pound art scam.
“I’m actually quite a serious person,” she tells hello!.
“When I say that to people they say: ‘That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!’ but I’m quite deep. I love talking and I love getting to know someone and learning about their struggles. I’ve always said I think I’d be quite a therapist!”
The podcast is certainly a departure for the woman who has made her name in comedy, first finding fame at the age of 18 in The Inbetweeners.
“I like to do a bit of everything,” she explains. “I’m so lucky in my career as everyone’s allowing me to dip my toe into all these other exciting things, so I am not just being pigeonholed.”
A podcast was “always something I wanted to do”, she says. “I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted it to be about but then Spotify came along with this idea.”
From shows such as Line of Duty to true-crime podcasts, deception has always been popular broadcast fare, Emily says, because it’s something everyone has experienced. “It’s really interesting how many lies are told a day, from tiny
‘I’m so lucky in my career as everyone’s allowing me to dip my toe into all these other exciting things, so I am not being pigeonholed’
little ones to huge lies that can change people’s lives. We’ve all been lied to and we’ve all told a lie.”
The first episode looks at how well we know our loved ones. “It’s the romantic relationships that can be more deceitful. I am incredibly close to my family and I don’t believe they would ever be deceitful towards me, but if new people come into your life – especially when it comes to romance – we can often be naive.”
Emily clearly had no reservations, though, when she went public recently with her relationship with entrepreneur Jude Taylor, whom she has been dating for the past few months.
COMEDY ATACK MODE
Viewers can expect lighter material in the next series of The Emily Atack Show. “The first series was the most amazing experience ever and I get to do it again! It’s nice to be doing silly, fun things and not taking anything too seriously.”
The last series had episode themes such as dating and growing up but Emily says the content will be looser this time. “I have found that people like it when I talk about dating and friendships and holidays – things like that. It’s just all about being a young woman. It’s going to be really fun.”
September will see her on her postponed Emily Atack: Has Left the Group tour. “It was originally called Can’t Wait to Cancel and was about the joy of cancelling plans when you get into your 30s. But then the pandemic happened…” she laughs. “Now, all I want to do is go out and see my friends again, so I feel like I’ve kind of gone back into my 20s. So I will be talking about that kind of thing.”
Meanwhile, she is also working alongside Keith Lemon and Laura Whitmore on Celebrity Juice, which is, she says: “So fun. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever done. It’s a real kind of pinnacle moment in my life, really. I kind of look around me and think: ‘It doesn’t really get better than this.’
“I’m happiest when I’m working. What I do for a living is a blessing. I count my lucky stars every day.”
She also says she is “happiest when I’m acting”, so would she prefer to pursue comedy or more serious work?
“I think the best comedy has heart and a seriousness to it. So for me, something that mixes the two. But I probably won’t be hosting Newsnight any time soon!” Emily Atack: Lie Detector is available exclusively on Spotify now.