Emily Atack unapologetically discusses sex and dating in her new show. It's TV that every single woman needs to watch, writes Georgia Humphreys.

Emily Atack would be great fun on a night out. That much is clear from both her new ITV2 series, The Emily Atack Show – a mix of belly laugh-inducing stand-up and sketches – and also her openness in interviews.

"I know about boys and partying and dating," notes the Luton-born star, 30. "I'm not claiming to be an Oxford/Cambridge graduate talking about politics and current affairs. I'll leave that to the other people who like talking about that.

"I'm here to talk about the stuff that matters, like Love Island and going on holiday with your mates and all these things that, actually, we've been so deprived of recently; going out, getting drunk with our friends."

She pauses briefly, before elaborating: "I know it sounds silly, but all this stuff is really important to us when we're young.

"We get so bogged down with all the serious, terrible things that are going on in the world and sometimes it's important to remember to just take the pressure off yourself."

Atack – whose big break was playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe in sitcom The Inbetweeners – became the nation's sweetheart following I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! In 2018. She finished second, behind Harry Redknapp, winning viewers over with her naturally funny personality, and how genuine she was.

Since then, she's had a sold-out comedy tour, and has landed various presenting gigs, including guest-hosting This Morning, and becoming a permanent team captain on ITV2 panel show, Celebrity Juice.

Now, she's on stage, on our telly screens, with her name in lights.

"I had a vision in my mind of what I wanted it to be but when I saw it all, suddenly I was like, 'Oh my god, I can't believe how bang on it is'," she says of The Emily Atack Show. "It's the show I wanted to make, and I just need people to like it now."

"Cheeky" is one word Atack uses to describe the six-part series, which, as well as stand-up and skits about life as a young woman, also sees the comic show off hilarious impressions of well-loved celebrities, from Gemma Collins to Holly Willoughby.

Atack – whose parents are actress, comedian and singer Kate Robbins, and musician Keith Atack (they divorced in 2008) – has been watching sketch shows her whole life. She reels off Catherine Tate and Tracey Ullman as inspirations, calling them "so great".

"But you can't really relate to sketches in a sketch show – they're just made up characters in funny situations," she follows.

"I wanted these sketches to be really relatable and I want it to be about normal life rather than complete fantasy, fictional characters I've made up. I want some of the characters to represent someone they might know in their life."

Each episode covers a different theme, including Dating, Going Out, Friends, Family, Image and Adulting.

What else does she hope audiences take from the programme?

"I want to show that you can talk about raucous, naughty things and still be blonde and have big boobs.

"I feel like some people might find it quite jarring that a girl that looks like me is stood up there talking about those things, but I really want to break that barrier down, because men are allowed to talk about that kind of stuff.

"I'm showing how I navigate my way through these kinds of things in life, like dating and family, friends. And I just want to show that you shouldn't feel scared to openly talk about these things."

Atack agrees with the notion that women will find it empowering to watch her be so honest about sex.

"It's almost like, in the past, that [talking about sex] was seen as really unladylike. I'm trying to show that things like sex - I'm just using sex as an example - they're not crude subjects.

"I might talk about them in a bit of a naughty way, and exaggerate some stories for comedy value and entertainment, but it shouldn't be so shocking that I'm stood there talking about one night stands or that sort of stuff because it's just a reality.

"It's what we do, it's what happens. It shouldn't just be men that are allowed to talk about those kinds of things in the pub with their mates."

There are a lot of comedy shows around, but the difference with The Emily Atack Show is how obvious it is that she isn't just reading a script, and pretending to be something she isn't.

As well as liberating, performing must also be quite an exposing experience.

And, when asked how she's feeling about putting this project out there, she blurts out: "I'm terrified! I'm absolutely terrified, because my name is above the door.

"But, in this industry, you've got to just take these risks. You've got to just put yourself out there and hope for the best and that's what I'm doing."

Well, at a time when we are missing gossiping with our pals, Atack's humour and down-to-earth attitude promises to be the perfect tonic.

"We're all missing the joys of life right now. We're missing going out and getting drunk with our friends, we're missing going out and dating men and doing all these things that we physically aren't allowed to really do at the moment.

"Hopefully the show has come at a good time. We can all remember those elements of life again and celebrate them and celebrate that soon we will be able to do all these things again."

  • The Emily Atack Show starts on ITV2 on Wednesday, November 4