Emily Atack has made an eye-opening debut in the new steamy novel Rivals and on Monday the actress defended the series’ use of nudity during an interview on ITV show Loose Women

Emily Atack spoke about rivals’ during Monday’s Loose Women episode(Image: ITV)

Emily Atack has opened up about her role in the new Disney+ version of Jilly Cooper’s steamy novel Rivals. The 34-year-old made an eye-opening debut in the series as she appears fully naked while playing tennis.

The series starts with two characters joining the mile-high club while on a flight before Emily’s show-stealing scene, all within the first 25 minutes of the star-studded series.

On Monday (October 21), Emily appeared on Loose Women to discuss her role and snapped back at critics over the nudity used in the series.

The former Inbetweeners actress said: “I read the script and they said ‘there is going to be lot of nudity are you up for this?’, I said ‘Disney, there is no way on earth that you are going to get me playing tennis!’. But honestly, It was the best job I have ever done in my life; the cast was amazing.”

Emily speaks to the Loose Women about her naked scenes in Rivals (Image: ITV)

Loose Women star Coleen Nolan then asked Emily: “Were you nervous when it came to the sex scenes and being naked?”

“I’m actually fine with it,” Emily replied. “It’s so funny isn’t it, because people kind of go ‘well you need to pick a lane, you can’t be somebody who does these kinds of roles and campaigns for sexual violence against women’, but people think you can’t do both.

“I am really trying to hammer this message home, saying that yes, you can. I am exactly where I need to be, at work in a professional environment.”

Emily Atack is starring in new Disney series Rivals (Image: Hulu/Youtube)

Emily added, “Obviously, in the past, it wasn’t always that way. We have intimacy coordinators now, and it’s heavily choreographed. We’re all having a nice time, and we’re all being professional.

“I’m doing my job; I’m not going to change what I’m doing; it’s the behaviour of other people that needs to change.”

Brenda Edwards expressed her admiration of Rivals, admitting she watched all eight episodes in one sitting. “It’s brilliant, and you are amazing,” the panellist told Emily before asking how she was dealing with the show’s backlash.

Emily responded: “It’s funny, isn’t it? As women, we are so used to having to think about our behaviour, like what we wear. We can’t go for a job after dark; we have to take a different route home.

Emily Atack has hopes for a second series of Rivals(Image: ITV)

“All we are saying is, men all of a sudden now have to look inward at their own behaviour. They have been allowed to get away with for years, some men and not all men, they can’t stand the fact they need to look inward and change their behaviour. We have had to do it forever, so it’s educating.”

Host Ruth Langford then commented: “I hope there is going to be another series”, as Emily agreed before proudly calling Rivals a piece of ‘escapism’.