Dancing on Ice star Emily Atack on why she's not as stupid as people think she is

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Exclusive by Claire O’Boyle 17/02/2010

As Emily Atack makes it past the halfway mark on Dancing on Ice, The Inbetweeners star explains how she has dropped two dress sizes and why she loves her Brigitte Bardot looks.

Blessed with a dazzling smile, killer curves and long, golden hair, comedy actress Emily Atack has been likened to a young Brigitte Bardot. And she loves her Hollywood starlet image, but whatever you do, don’t dare think she’s a “dumb” blonde.

“I know some people look at me, see all this blonde hair and make-up and presume I’m some ditsy bimbo,” she says. “But I’m not.”

“In that way I quite like how judgemental people can be – it means I get to surprise them. They expect me to be a bit stupid, and I’m not. It’s good if people have to rethink their ideas.”

But she’s thrilled that people think she looks like the French star. “It’s so flattering to be compared with Brigitte Bardot, oh my God!” laughs Emily, 20. “She is the most stunning woman in the world.

“But I do make the most of it sometimes. When I want to feel really glamorous I go for her big hair and dark smoky eyes.”

Emily also has the famous Bardot curves, although she has shed two dress sizes since the training for Dancing on Ice kicked off in November.

“I’ve never been a tiny, skinny girl,” she says. “I’ve always been curvy. I like having boobs and a bum. Until a few months ago, while filming for The ­Inbetweeners, I was a size 14 and happy that way.

“I’ve always eaten a lot especially for a girl. I love my food but before the show I got a personal trainer and did a bit of working out, but ­mainly I just ate healthily.”

And since her intense skating programme took off for the ITV show, Emily’s become even fitter, dropping to a size 10.

“It’s been brilliant, but horrific at the same time!” she laughs. “Just yesterday I was training for 10 hours. I’ve never been particularly fit or athletic so it’s exhausting.

“But I guess it’s doing me good – I feel more toned than I ever have and my jeans are really loose. It sounds stupid, doesn’t it? But it feels great.”

Since all the skating is burning off the calories, Emily doesn’t feel she needs to cut out her treats – although random ­members of the public don’t share her relaxed attitude.

“I was in Tesco buying my lunch when this man walked over and basically accosted me about what I was eating,” she says. “I had a sandwich and this giant Snickers bar and he just walked right up to me and asked, ‘Shouldn’t you be practising your skating?’ while scowling at my big chocolate bar. It was hilarious, but it made me realise just how many more people are going to recognise me after doing Dancing on Ice.

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“The Inbetweeners is a kind of cult hit so there are about a million ­viewers, but this show is mainstream and there are 11 million people watching every Sunday night. It’s completely mad.”

And the higher her profile gets, the more aware Emily is that people are watching and judging her sense of style.

“I feel like I have to go out and buy designer stuff all of a sudden,” she says. “Usually I’m in high street clothes like Topshop and River Island. But being out at celeb events a bit more makes me feel like I need to smarten up. It’s not really me because I’m normally very casual.”

Emily’s bid to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground is a priority not only for her, but for carpenter boyfriend Christian Hard, 21. The couple, who have been dating for two years, recently moved in together to a flat in Bedfordshire.

“He’s fantastic,” says Emily. “He’s been so supportive through the whole competition and if there’s anyone who will keep my feet on the ground, it’s him.”

And while rumours emerged about Emily’s crushes on fellow Dancing on Ice contestants ­earlier in the series, she insists he wasn’t bothered by the gossip. “He laughs things like that off,” says Emily. “He knows it’s all just silly.” But she admits one man did give her butterflies on the first day – The Bill heart-throb Gary Lucy, 28.

“That’s so embarrassing,” says Emily. “He was a proper pin-up when I was a teen and my friends and I had such a crush on him.

“He’s a lovely guy so after the first few days I relaxed. They’re all nice guys. Kieron’s probably my best mate on the show, we have a real laugh.”

No stranger to the world of celebrity, Emily’s second cousin is Sir Paul McCartney. But she says the much-hyped clash between her and his ex Heather Mills on the show never materialised.

“That was so stupid,” she says. “Heather was lovely and it was nice to meet her as equals on the same show. I liked her.”

Working on the show with bitchy judge Jason Gardiner, Emily knows how nasty people can be about women’s looks.

“He said I had an underbite!” she says. “Unbelievable! I have an overbite actually, but it was hilarious. He just comes out with anything. Does he want me to be paranoid? Because I’m not.”

Emily, whose mum is actress and impressionist Kate Robbins, has made her name in quirky comedy The Inbetweeners, but hopes to branch out into more serious roles. “I’m dying to do a drama. I want a part playing a really ugly geek, with no make-up and my hair all tied back so I could just be a character without worrying how I look.

“For the moment though, I’m just trying to make it through each week on Dancing on Ice. I’m never going to be the best skater, but I feel like I’m getting better. My partner Fred Palascak is great, he’s made the experience much more fun.”