Rivals' Emily Atack spills on 'integral' nudity in daring new Disney+ series

Emily Atack stars in Disney's raunchy new drama Rivals, which is based on Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name, and has opened up about the nudity and sex scenes

Emily Atack has dished on her latest role in the upcoming TV drama Rivals, slated for release on Disney Plus. Alongside talents such as Alex Hassell and David Tennant, the actress delves into a tale of intense rivalry in the high-stakes world of 1980s independent television.

Rivals, which is an adaptation of Jilly Cooper's bestselling novel of the same name, throws its audience into the fierce battle of wills between the ex-Olympic rider and Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black, played by Hassell, and the determined TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham, brought to life by Tennant.

At 34, Emily steps into the shoes of Sarah Stratton, leveraging her status as the Prime Minister's deputy's wife, performed by Rufus Jones, to score a gig as a TV presenter a role that sees her stripping down for tennis with Rupert in one of the series' bold scenes.

Atack didn't hold back discussing the daring scene, which stays 'true' to the source material, despite confessing to having initial reservations due to her lack of tennis skills. She emphasised the importance of the nudity in the show, arguing they were "integral" and served a purpose within the story.

Chatting with Digital Spy, Atack made it clear: "We keep saying that the nudity and the sex scenes are a huge part of this, but there's always a reason for them. We're not just getting our kit off for no reason. They're very integral to the storylines and characters", reports the Manchester Evening News.

She and co-star Hassell instantly clicked when they met, with Atack revealing that she felt "completely comfortable" with him. She also lauded the wider Rivals crew and the intimacy coordinators, dubbing the experience "liberating" and "safe".

Opening up about filming the erotic scenes, she remarked: "We all knew each other really well by then. I think anybody that had nudity scenes and sex scenes, we all just really supported each other, so we loved talking about it. It was liberating and it was very safe."

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Joining the star-studded line-up in Rivals is Aidan Turner, famed for his roles in Poldark and Being Human, taking on the character of Declan O'Hara, a presenter at Corinium TV. EastEnders ' legend Danny Dyer is set to charm audiences as the lovable self-made electronics tycoon Freddie Jones.

The cast is peppered with more acclaimed talent such as W1A's Rufus Jones, Our Girl's Luke Pasqualino, and Sex Education's Bella Maclean, just to name a few.

Rivals is gearing up to debut on Friday, October 18, exclusively on Disney+. The series promises an exhilarating eight episodes, all ready for fans to devour in a binge-watching session the moment it drops.

Rivals will be released Friday, October 18 on Disney+.