EMILY ATACK
EMILY ATACK ON FILLING SOME BIG SHOES AND WORKING WITH HER CLOSE PALS
She stole our hearts – and had us in fits of laughter – on I’m A Celeb in 2018 with her girl-next-door personality and knack for slapstick comedy, so we’re not surprised Emily Atack has been roped in as a team captain alongside Laura Whitmore on the latest series of Celebrity Juice.
Since finishing as runner-up in the jungle, Emily, 30, has been busy presenting ITV2 dating show Singletown, had her own range with top fashion retailer In The Style and has reached almost two million followers on Instagram.
So the show’s host, Keith Lemon, was understandably keen to get the former Inbetweeners actress on board with Laura to replace Celeb Juice
legends Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby.
And Emily is more than thrilled to be taking on the hilarious challenges and going up against Laura’s team every week, revealing she’s happy being a “silly arse” for the cameras!
Here, the star reveals why she won’t compare herself to her predecessors and the unusual gift she bought herself after landing the job…
So Emily, how did filming for your first show go?
I loved it. I came away feeling so happy. I was a little bit nervous to begin with but, yeah, it was just lovely. There was a real feeling of love in the air.
Glad to hear it! But do you feel you’re under pressure, replacing Holly and Fearne?
We’re not trying to replace anyone, but instead we want to put our own little stamp on it. While it’s amazing to be in those shoes, where people like Holly and Fearne have been, it’s also really important that we’re bringing our own thing to it.
Will you be able to handle Keith like they could?
I remember being a guest on the show once and it’s so much more terrifying! You sit there thinking, “What’s he gonna do? What’s he gonna do?” But there’s something about being a team captain – whatever he gets me to do, it doesn’t matter because I’m a bloody team captain!
And what about Laura, how excited are you to be working with her?
Oh, I just adore her. I’ve known her for over 10 years now. We sort of started out together in the business at the same time, and we always used to bump into each other at events. Starting a new job is daunting at the best of times, but coming on to it with one of your mates, who you’ve known and climbed the industry ladder with, is lovely.
Covid-19 restrictions mean filming’s a bit different this time. What was it like performing to a smaller audience? They were so nice! I thought it was going to be really quiet and that would throw us, because normally you feed off the audience energy. But they were so lovely. I went up to them afterwards and said, “You know, it was my first day in the job, and you couldn’t have been nicer.”
The show is known for its hilarious yet stomach-churning challenges. Do you think your time on I’m A Celeb has prepared you for some of the tasks Keith may have planned?
Yeah! You know what, I think I’m just one of those people where if you put a naughty thing in front of me to do, I’m very mischievous. I’m very cheeky and I like doing raucous, silly things. So I’m up for it really.
You’ve done Dancing On Ice and the jungle – what other skills can you bring to Juice?
I’m really good at getting p **** d. Got my little drink underneath the desk...
Er, do you worry that it might get you into trouble, drinking on TV?
No, absolutely not!
Fair enough! If you could choose other celebs to come on the show, who would be on your wish list?
Any stunning man that I can have a flirt with. Keith and Laura are gonna try and set me up with a guest. It’s become a thing. I feel like I’m on Blind Date!