Inside Emily Atack’s 30-year relationship with her step-cousin – after she reveals they are expecting their first baby

SHE has spent much of life in front of the camera but Emily Atack has kept her latest romance very much underwraps.

But now, it's been revealed that the hunky and rather mysterious nuclear scientist she is expecting a child with is her step-cousin.

Emily, 34, has only been pictured publicly with Dr Alistair Garner on one occasion – in September of last year.

However, their friendships goes much further back than that, 30 years in fact.

The Sun revealed that that Alistair is the son of her late uncle – Dr Stephen Garner – who married Emily’s aunt Jane Robbins in 1994.

Emily, who is already five months pregnant, was very close to her uncle Steve – who fans say looked like Richard Gere – and was heartbroken when he died last year.

Dr Steve - who was an oral surgery specialist - passed away from cancer in July 2023.

She grew up alongside Alistair - and the pair often spent time together on family holidays with the large Robbins brood.

An insider said: “Emily and Alistair consider themselves more family friends but they are cousins who aren’t related by blood.

“They grew up together and have always got on really well, but last year they started to get closer.

“It has been a really natural evolution of their friendship and they both have strong feelings for each other.

“Emily and Alistair were thrilled when they found out they were expecting and are really looking forward to becoming parents.

“Their respective families are totally supportive and have told them they think they’re a lovely couple.

“It is a really exciting time for them.”

Emily and Alistair have set up home together to prepare for their child’s arrival.

Alistair attended the University of Manchester, where he gained his PhD and also worked as a lecturer.

According to his Linkedin he is a ‘materials scientist and electron microscopist specialising in the degradation of high performance alloys for nuclear and aerospace applications’.

His current job is thought to be a Senior Consultant at Jacobs, a huge American company.

Emily didn't mention him directly in her pregnancy statement, but made his presence known as she said: "We can already sense the baby is reclined on a mattress of peanut butter and jam sandwiches in there, demanding more chocolate buttons."