Emily Atack apologises to locals at lavish second wedding
The Rivals star acknowledged the scale of her second wedding celebration as famous friends descended on the Spanish hilltop town of Mojácar.
Emily Atack apologised to locals who watched her lavish Spanish wedding celebrations – telling them the spectacle taking over part of their picturesque village was “a bit over the top”.
The 36-year-old Rivals and The Inbetweeners actor celebrated her marriage to scientist Dr Alistair Garner in Mojácar, Andalucía, at the weekend, three weeks after the couple held their first wedding ceremony in Bedfordshire.
Around 200 friends and relatives travelled to the whitewashed hilltop town for the second celebration, which had particular significance for Emily after years of family holidays there.
Before climbing into a vintage red Cadillac with Alistair and their two-year-old son Barney, Emily turned towards locals who had gathered to watch proceedings and said: “This is all a bit over the top isn’t it?”
Barney was photographed sitting behind the wheel of the Cadillac as his parents posed with him following the ceremony.
Emily has longstanding connections with Mojácar.
Her father, musician Keith Atack, previously owned a property in the Spanish town, which the family sold in 2018, and Emily has continued returning to the area.
Her new marriage celebrations involved restrictions around part of Mojácar’s historic centre, with local reports ahead of the wedding saying access to the Plaza del Mirador would be limited while two neighbouring restaurants catered for the guests.
According to reports from the celebration, some locals were frustrated when security prevented them from walking through part of the area being used by the wedding party.
The arrangements came three months after Dua Lipa and Callum Turner faced protests during their wedding celebrations in Palermo, Sicily.
Residents there objected after areas were closed off for festivities, displaying signs declaring: “Palermo is not for rent, our piazza is not your living room.”
Dua and Callum had legally married in London before travelling to Sicily for their larger celebrations.
Police and local officers were deployed around parts of central Palermo as crowds, photographers and journalists gathered.
Emily and Alistair’s Spanish ceremony attracted a large contingent from the entertainment industry, including her Rivals co-star David Tennant, who plays Tony Baddingham in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel.
Stanley Tucci, Katherine Ryan, Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore were also among the guests.
Emily has enjoyed a renewed acting profile through Rivals, in which she plays Sarah Stratton.
The drama also stars David alongside Alex Hassell and has become one of Emily’s most prominent television roles since her breakthrough as Charlotte Hinchcliffe in The Inbetweeners.
Her Spanish wedding came just days after Netflix confirmed The Inbetweeners would return for a third film, with production under way and original creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley writing and directing.
Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison are returning as Will, Simon, Jay and Neil.
Emily’s involvement in the new film has not been announced.
Her character Charlotte – the popular schoolgirl who becomes the object of Will’s affections – appeared throughout the original Channel 4 sitcom and in the first Inbetweeners film.
The original series ran from 2008 until 2010 before spawning The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011 and The Inbetweeners 2 in 2014.
The newly announced film reunites its four central characters 16 years after the television series ended.
Emily and Alistair welcomed Barney in 2024 and became engaged in 2025.
They married in an intimate ceremony in Bedfordshire on 22 August before travelling to Spain for their larger celebration.
