How Emily Atack proves breasts rule with ‘power poses’ that have made her an icon
She may have been known as ‘Big Jugs’ Charlotte for years before her role in The Inbetweeners made her famous. But instead of being ashamed of being sexy, Emily Atack has proven time and time again that there is so much power in the art of being sultry.
Instead of letting brazen body shamers win, the 34-year-old star revealed how she was so relaxed while filming full frontals in the highly anticipated Jilly Cooper adaptation of Rivals that she sat on set with her ‘knockers out’.
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Emily is no stranger to nudity and has been celebrating her sexuality for decades with sexy shoots and barely-there bikinis. And trolling aside, she has hit back in style at the misogyny in her industry, saying that any form of slut-shaming is often just a form of “anger towards women. Men are so angry at sexy women.”
Body language expert Judi James agreed that Emily’s bare-chested look isn’t meant to desperately impress and gain fans.
Instead, they’re about empowering her and other women who pose that way.
According to Judi, they indicate control: “The passive pouting lips, fake flirty expressions or dull looks of retro glamor models are gone,” she explains.
“They have been replaced by body positions and facial expressions that suggest that if there is a joke involved, it is up to the viewer to take it seriously and not the model or actress who takes it.
“It’s a clever mix of contrasting body language signals used to show who is really in charge.
Here, Judi looks at the body language in Emily’s photos, which show how she has grown in confidence and says she doesn’t pose for anyone but herself these days.
‘Celebrating sexuality’
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Despite her judgement, Emily has admitted that she ‘really had no problem’ appearing almost naked in lads’ magazines such as Loaded and FHM, as she saw it as ‘celebrating my youth and my sexuality’.
Emily’s linear evolution as a pin-up girl shows a seismic shift in her level of confidence and control, and Judi says, but for these guys’ mag shoot, Judi says her body language tells a different story.
Judi says: “Here Emily’s shoulders are hunched, which could be a sign of tension or stress, and her arms hang stiffly at her sides.
“Her expression lacks emotion, as if she understands why her body is seen as attractive, but exposing it like this can make her feel like she has no control over the messages being communicated.”
Tongue stick fun
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Emily’s first shoot is a far cry from this provocative topless bed selfie in which she admits she forgot her pajamas.
According to Judi, Emily is in complete control and knows exactly what message she wants to convey.
She explains: “With the camera hovering in front of or above her like a drone, we can see a very healthy, bare-faced, freckled Emily making fun of anyone who takes a look.
“She bares her breasts but challenges anyone watching at the same time in this playful, fun pose.
Everything you need to know about Emily Atack
“Her eyes are wrinkled in an eye smile, but her nose wrinkles suggest a slight grin of disgust.
‘Her full-throated tongue poke is a childish signal of rebellion, naughtiness and rejection.
“She looks confident but nice here.
“And she looks absolutely great in terms of self-confidence.”
Responsible
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Emily is no stranger to looking stunning in a bikini and this 2021 Ibiza holiday with her mum Kate Robbins and sister Martha Atack was no exception.
Judi says this sassy pose shows that Emily is in charge of this photo and how she wants to be seen.
Judi says: “This pose is accompanied by a very sassy attitude as Emily once again shows who is in charge now.
“When she peers over the top of her sunglasses, she makes the viewer feel almost mischievous to watch, and her slightly squeamish, shocked facial expression adds to the air of authority here.”
And Judi says women use ‘breast spreading’ to please no one but themselves:
“The signaling is more about that feeling of power than about sexually pleasing women or peacocking in favor of the opposite sex,” she adds.
‘Bald but fearless’
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Emily started working at retail chain New Look in the fall of 2021 and has lost all the uncertainty of her previous shoots in these behind-the-scenes photos from her 2023 beach campaign for the brand.
Judi says: “The session features her with one hand on her hip in a powerful sexual gesture or with both arms raised to perform a ritual in the well.
“Baring the armpits in this way is a signal of superiority and by exposing this delicate body part, Emily suggests that she is now fearless and in control.”
Positively confident
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Another confident bikini pose from 2021, this time in Marbella, where, despite not being a selfie, Emily nailed the underboob look.
Judi says it’s a tricky pose to pull off, but Emily’s body confidence here as she’s photographed clearly through the roof.
Judi says: “With a cocktail in one hand, Emily ups the ante here by posing with both underboob and cleavage.
“This can be a tricky ‘reveal’ to pull off in a studio, but Emily clearly has enough body confidence to pull it off while enjoying herself.
“Her chin is also lifted here, which indicates extra confidence and a positive self-image.”
Take control
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Last year Emily was in Ibiza to post another sexy selfie and show the world she knew how to pose.
Judi says a pose like this, shown in a selfie, rather than in a studio, shows that Emily is in complete control of her story.
She reveals: “Emily shows her posing skill by working her cleavage here, deftly and cleverly raising one arm to hold her camera for the selfie and using it to push in one breast at the same time.
“Taking a selfie for a pose like this suggests control again, rather than standing in a studio and being controlled by the photographer.”
‘Terrible’ performance
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Comedian and actress Emily appeared on Keith Lemon’s cheeky panel show Celebrity Juice for three seasons starting in 2020 as team captain.
In the very last episode, she wore this ‘keyhole neckline plunging neckline’ dress and wrote in an Instagram post to mark the programme’s final episode: “Let’s be terrible for the last time.”
Judi says Emily uses some tongue-in-cheek poses as she appears in risqué comedy shows with this look.
She says: ‘With her legs crossed and her cleavage sticking out, she mimics the kind of poses girls would have to strike in pin-up magazines from the 60s and 70s.
“But with a tongue-in-cheek vibe – as if she wants the world to know she’s doing it with humor and a sense of ironic fun, like a skit about that era of glamor cheese.”
So while some may want to comment on Emily’s incredible figure, it seems like most of us can just take a leaf out of her book when it comes to embracing the bikini.
She put it perfectly when she recently said, “I know a lot of people are going to say, ‘Wait a minute. One minute she’s talking about violence against women, the next she’s taking off her gear during a show. ‘, but what I’m trying to show is that it doesn’t have to matter at all.’
