Emily Atack branded her cousins ”the best invention since the Game Boy” and “50 percent sibling, 50 percent buddy” before revealing she is expecting a baby with her aunt's stepson.
Web revealed on Wednesday that The Inbetweeners star's new boyfriend, Dr. Alistair Garner, her step-cousin, whom she has known for over 30 years.
And Emily, who is five months pregnant with Alistair's baby, has previously told how important her cousins have been in her life, describing them as “the best friends I've ever had”.
Her family, including mother Kate Robbins, who calls Alistair her “nephew”, are said to be excited about the comedy actress becoming a mother for the first time and support her romance with the nuclear scientist, who is not a blood relative.
And in her 2019 autobiography, Are We There Yet?, Emily, 34, hinted at why she entered into a relationship with Alistair, 37, because their cousins ”understand each other on a deep level.”
Emily Atack called her cousins ”the best invention since the Game Boy” and “50 percent sibling, 50 percent buddy” before revealing she's expecting a baby with her aunt's stepson (pictured with Alistair).
Web revealed on Wednesday that The Inbetweeners star's new boyfriend, Dr. Alistair Garner, her step-cousin, whom she has known for over 30 years
She says, “Cousins are the best invention since the Game Boy.” They are basically 50 percent siblings and 50 percent partners. You look the same, but different…
“You understand each other on a deep, deep level and you have a little more social etiquette towards each other than your brother or sister…”
“It makes me sad for my friends who don't have that kind of relationship with their cousins, because mine were the best friends I ever had. 'They're still my best friends to this day.'
Emily has numerous cousins thanks to the extended families of both her parents, actress Kate and singer father Keith Atack, who split in 2007.
Alistair, on his mother's side, is the stepson of Kate's sister Jane, who married his father Stephen Garner, who died last summer, leaving Emily devastated.
Although most of her cousins, including Alistair, lived in the north of England, Emily herself, as well as her sister Martha and brother George, managed to spend a lot of time with them throughout her childhood.
She also praised her “stunning” looks and compared her to models.
She added: “Most of them have Nordic accents like our parents, are model-sized and they are all absolutely gorgeous.”
Emily, who is five months pregnant with Alistair's baby, has previously shared how important her cousins have been in her life, describing them as “the best friends I've ever had”.
“Growing up, we spent spring days terrorizing each other in the spare bedroom of my grandparents' house in Birkenhead, locking the little ones in the bathrooms, almost decapitating each other while hanging out the window and throwing sweets into the street .”
“We slept in caves on the floors of each other’s bedrooms, we stayed up late and ate midnight feasts until we felt sick.”
Emily later explained that she tried to recreate the close bonds she has with her cousins in her friendship groups. She said: “They taught me openness, love and friendship – things I wanted to create with all other friendship groups…”
“They are my solid foundation on which everything else is built, and it doesn't matter what happens in the rest of my life – when all the walls come down, I know these foundations will be there…”
“They remind me of Ellie Goulding’s lyrics: “When I stand with you, I stand with my army.”
The I'm A Celebrity star announced her shock pregnancy last weekend, telling her 1.9 million followers she had “never felt so happy and scared at the same time”.
Emily and Alistair recently set up their home together in preparation for the birth of their baby (pictured together in September).
She had chosen to keep her relationship with Alistair private by not mentioning him in her lengthy post, preferring to use the word “we” while expressing her excitement about becoming a mother.
Web told Wednesday how her family supported the relationship.
A source said: “Emily and Alistair have grown close over the last 12 months. It was unexpected, but her family is happy for her. They are a great couple and everyone is looking forward to their new arrival.”
Hours after Web revealed her connection to her baby's father, Emily broke her silence on Instagram and thanked well-wishers.
She wrote: “Overwhelmed by all your messages of support for our Baba!” “I'm stuck at home very sick so your kind messages really cheer me up.”
Emily then joked: “Turns out that goes for M&S biscuits too.”
She had chosen to keep her relationship with Alistair private by not mentioning him in her lengthy post, preferring to use the word “we” while expressing her excitement about becoming a mother