Emily Atack reveals harrowing reality behind weight loss she was viciously trolled over
Actress Emily Atack has revealed that there was a sinister reason behind her weight loss that online trolls relentlessly targeted her about.
The star has opened up about the secret health battle she faced following the birth of her son Barney in summer 2024, which left her housebound for weeks on end.
She is now urging social media users who have a lot to say about other peoples bodies to keep their opinions to themselves, as she is 'done with defending' her size and shape at this stage in the game.
Atack, 36, has opened up about how the constant comments about her weight that online trolls bombarded her with impacted her. She explained these rude remarks ramped up significantly when she became pregnant.
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The Rivals star announced she was expecting a little one with her fiancé, scientist Dr Alistair Garner, in December 2023.
Atack said she was 'so happy and utterly terrified' by the prospect of parenthood in an Instagram post, while comparing pregnancy to riding a rollercoaster while rough from the beer.
"Every day is mixed with thrill, fear, joy, hysteria, topped off with a lot of vomiting,"The Inbetweeners star joked. "A bit like when you’ve just stepped off of the Oblivion at Alton Towers on a hangover.
"I’ve got to know my body on such an insane level. It’s made me appreciate the one I’ve been given SO much. I’m doing my absolute best to make it a home for the little squid I’m growing.
"We can already sense the baby is reclined on a mattress of peanut butter and jam sandwiches in there, demanding more chocolate buttons."
She then announced the arrival of her 'beautiful son' Barney James Garner in June 2024.
In the caption of her post publicising her little boy's birth, Atack said 'all her dreams had come true' - but behind-the-scenes, she was battling through something of a nightmare.
The mother-of-one, from Luton, revealed that she had a 'difficult' time while carrying Barney and was also extremely poorly after giving birth. She then contracted sepsis, which is a life-threatening reaction to an infection.
According to the NHS, common symptoms of sepsis in adults include confusion or slurred speech, uncontrollable shivering, muscle pain, difficulty breathing, blue, pale, grey or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, a high or low temperature – a high temperature, and a lack of urination.
It requires urgent medical intervention and can be fatal if left untreated.
"I went through a very difficult pregnancy," Atack told Grazia magazine. "I was very ill after the birth. I had sepsis, I couldn’t leave the house for weeks. It was awful."
Cruelly, while Atack was privately struggling with sepsis, a number of online trolls were making comments about her weight.
She explained the health condition contributed to her noticeable weight loss following on from Barney's birth.
"I was trolled for being enormous even when I was pregnant and I’m now trolled for having lost weight," Atack continued. "My body holds all my trauma as well as my happiness and joy.
"So I’m just asking people for a little bit of patience and understanding at such a complex thing. Women’s bodies change all the time. I am so done with defending it."
Atack said her health is in a great place these days and that 'life is good'.
"t doesn’t get much better than where I am now," the screen star said, explaining she is excitedly planning her destination wedding to Alistair - while promising it is 'going to be a big, fat, f**k-off party'.
What are the warning signs for sepsis?
One of the most dangerous things about sepsis is the fact it can be so difficult to spot, particularly in babies and young children, people with dementia or learning disabilities and anyone who might have difficulty communicating.
It tends to 'develop quickly' over the course of a few hours, the NHS says, and can turn into septic shock unless doctors intervene, which can be fatal.
According to the NHS website, if you notice any of the following symptoms in a baby or young child, you should phone 999 or go straight to A&E:
- blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it
- difficulty breathing, such as grunting noises or sucking in under their ribcage, breathlessness or breathing very fast
- a weak, high-pitched cry that's not like their normal cry
- not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake
Meanwhile, if an adult has any of the following symptoms of sepsis, you should go straight to A&E or phone 999:
- acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it
- difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Topics: Parenting, Health, Celebrity, Social Media
Olivia Burke