Joanna Page: Her most memorable roles and life beyond the cameras

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If you’ve ever chuckled your way through Gavin & Stacey, you’ll definitely know Joanna Page as the lovely (and often gloriously flustered!) Stacey Shipman. More recently, you might have spotted her tackling wonderfully bonkers challenges on Taskmaster, or sharing her thoughts as a regular panellist on Loose Women — a seat she’s held since 2023. And let’s not forget her scene-stealing turn as Judy, the painfully shy body double in Love Actually! Wherever you first fell for her charm, that unmistakable Welsh accent is a bit of a giveaway. So pop the kettle on as we take a closer look at Joanna’s life — from her early days to the iconic roles that made her a household favourite.

Who is Joanna Page?

Joanna Page was born in Treboeth, Swansea, on 23 March 1977 — and from a young age she had her heart set on becoming an actress. But believe it or not, her journey wasn’t all standing ovations and red carpets. In fact, her much-loved Welsh accent nearly held her back.

After winning a place at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, Joanna should have felt on top of the world. Instead, she’s spoken about being “constantly told” she couldn’t act. One assistant director even suggested she wasn’t a bad actress at all — the “problem”, apparently, was simply that she was Welsh! Thankfully, Joanna proved the doubters very wrong… and we’re so glad she did.

"I couldn't believe it. I turned around and I walked out, and I have never, ever been back since," said Joanna when speaking about her time at school at the Cheltenham Literary Festival in 2025. We're glad Joanna didn't listen to the naysayers, as we love her accent and performances!

Is Joanna Page married, and does she have children?

Yes, Joanna Page has been married to fellow actor James Thornton since 2003 - in fact, they appeared in the 1999 adaptation of the BBC period drama David Copperfield together years before they married! James may be familiar to you for his role as John Barton in Emmerdale, former husband of Moira Dingle who died in a shocking car accident back in 2012.

James and Joanna have four children together, with her youngest coming as a surprise addition in 2021, after which she made the choice to have her fallopian tubes cut.

"I couldn't go through another pregnancy, I'd be utterly exhausted and I also want to give enough time to my children," said Joanna when reflecting a few years later.

Who are Joanna Page's parents?

Neither of Joanna's parents are in showbiz - her mother, Susan, worked in a bank when she was growing up, and her father Nigel was a mechanic. They were part of a very close-knit family, and when she was young, she was surrounded by relatives.

"Mum and Dad are complete opposites. Mum is very neat and organised, which is perfect for working in a bank, having to follow strict rules. Dad was very artistic, especially drawing," Joanna told The Guardian in 2014.

Joanna doesn't have any siblings - considering her father is one of eight children on his side of the family, we're sure she was doted on plenty by her aunts and uncles!

What TV shows has Joanna Page been in?

Aside from appearing as herself on Loose Women as a regular panellist and taking to the Taskmaster house with style in the ongoing 21st series, Joanna has played a variety of roles in TV shows and films alike, with some of our favourites being her turn as Queen Elizabeth in the Doctor Who episode 'The Day of the Doctor' and of course, Stacey Shipman in Gavin & Stacey.

Joanna often shares stories about her time as Stacey on her podcast, Lush!. She has some hilarious anecdotes from the set, like this one about filming the bedroom scene with fellow star Matthew Horne for the 2024 Christmas special and series finale.

"So you'd think when you're filming and you're in the bedroom, it's quite intimate, but we had Chris our director, we had the cameraman, we had all of the crew. Matt was standing by the bed.

"You've got James (Corden), you've got a couple of other people, you got costume, you have got makeup. The room is that full and I've got to sneak-in whilst I'm a breastfeeding mum who's not feeling the least bit sexy and then try and be a bit dirty and a bit sexy and then slap another actor across the arse!

"But it was really good fun and it was really funny. I wasn't supposed to be slapping Gavin. I was just bending him over, and before one take James came up and said, 'really slap him across the arse and don't tell him'. So that's what we did. And I've never seen Matt shoot up so much and have such a shocked expression on his face was absolutely hilarious! The crack of the slap was like a gun had gone off. It was really, really funny."

What films and other shows has Joanna Page been in?

Here's a rundown of Joanna Page's roles and filmography to investigate if you're craving some more screen time from the inspiring actress.