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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

Gavin and Stacey's Joanna Page's real life - surprise baby, divorce fears and new career

Joanna Page returns to our screens once again this evening, as she joins the likes of Peter Andre and Buster singer Matt Willis on a new series of Cooking with the Stars.

The Welsh actress, 46, is one of the country's most recognisable faces, thanks to playing Stacey Shipman in Gavin and Stacey and making an iconic cameo in festive film Love Actually in 2003.

Away from work, Joanna has her hands full with four children - with her youngest child an unexpected surprise when she fell pregnant at the age of 44.

Announcing her fourth pregnancy to fans in August 2021, Joanna quipped: "Well, this is a surprise!!

"Baby number 4 on the way! It's going to be a busy Christmas!"

Joanna Page admits she spent most of lockdown threatening to divorce her husband (Rex)

The blonde actress, who is married to husband James Thornton, looked radiant and glowing as she posed for a picture surrounded by plants and a wheelbarrow, with a flowing white dress showing off a hint of a growing baby bump.

Joanna and James already shared three children, Eva, nine, Kit, seven, and Noah, six, before welcoming youngest daughters Willow into the world in December 2021.

But before becoming a mum for the fourth time, Joanna couldn't help joking she almost divorced her husband after lockdown killed their sex life.

She admitted she and James spent so much time with their children when schools were closed that they couldn't make time for each other.

Being unable to be have sex took a toll on their relationship, with the couple arguing, threatening to split, and giving each other the silent treatment, Joanna confessed in 2021.

"We spent the whole of the first lockdown arguing and threatening to divorce each other," she recalled.

"Then we went through a month of literally not saying a single word to each other."

Joanna went on to reveal she and James were used to cramming in sex sessions before it was time to pick their kids up from school.

James and Joanna's sex life took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

She continued to tell The Sun how being surrounded by their children put a dampener on their love life.

Joanna explained: ""At night-time one wanted to lie on that side holding that boob, the other one wanted to lie on this side holding this boob and then my third little one just wanted to lie down the whole of my body.

"So I was there going, Oh my God, please, I just want a bit of space.'"

Thankfully, schools soon reopened and Joanna and James managed to get their sex life back on track - resulting in the birth of their fourth child at the end of 2021.

Introducing her youngest child to fans on Instagram at the time, Joanna gushed: ""Welcome to our family Boe Willow Russell. We love you with all our hearts."

With four young children, it's understandable Joanna has made changes to her career over the years.

Chatting with the Mirror previously, the mum-of-four admitted she has cut back on acting roles in favour of presenting jobs, with the change allowing her to spend more time with her kids.

"I really enjoy presenting and it works a lot better with a family as you don’t have to go away for weeks on end," the star explained.

“For the first six months after I had Eva I was away working filming two shows back to back," she said.

"I had my mum looking after her on set but it was so tough as all I wanted to do was spend time with my new baby."

She added: “Also, I just find presenting a lot more interesting. You’re always doing something different and I love just being myself and chatting to people.

"It can be a lot more fun than sitting alone in a trailer for hours learning lines, then going out to do a scene where you’re pretending to be ­somebody else."

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