Joanna: “James is exactly the same – he’s lovely!”
After the success of the festive special, Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page reveals she’s ready for a full series comeback – and lifts the lid on her friendship with co-star James Corden
Its eagerly anticipated return after a decade away from our screens didn’t disappoint – with ecstatic fans calling for another series. And Gavin & Stacey’s leading lady, Joanna Page, says she’s open to returning to Barry Island sooner rather than later.
Joanna, 42, who plays Stacey Shipman in the smash-hit comedy says, “The reaction [to the one-off special] has been phenomenal – it’s so lovely and heartwarming. And coming together again to film over the summer was just the same. Within ten minutes, it was as if we’d only been filming the day before.
“I’d love them to do more episodes. I get asked for more all the time – and people are just going to keep on asking. But they better do it soon, or we’ll all look too old!”
ROMANTIC CLIFFHANGER
Over the course of three years, the Bafta-winning BBC sitcom followed the relationship of a boy from Billericay, Essex, and a Welsh lass from Barry, bringing together their friends and family. The Christmas special, watched by a record
17.1 million viewers, ended on a romantic cliffhanger with Stacey’s best friend Nessa proposing to Gavin’s pal Smithy, played by co-writers Ruth Jones and James Corden.
Since the series finale in 2010, actor and scriptwriter James, 41, has gained fame in the US, hosting The Late Late Show with James Corden, as well as landing parts in high-profile movies Cats and Ocean’s Eight.
And Joanna says that despite his A-lister status, the star is as down-to-earth as ever.
She says, “He’s exactly the same; he’s so lovely! Only now he’s a husband and a dad [James has three children with TV producer wife Julia Carey: Max, nine, Carey, five, and Charlotte, two].
He’s working hard and he’s matured but, aside from that, he’s the same.
“When I walked in for the read-through, I just saw his face... and I hadn’t seen him for so long. So I got his face between my hands and I said, ‘Oh, it’s you. Look at your little face!’ It was like seeing my little brother. I just love him.”
GOOD GENES
In the intervening decade, Joanna has become a mum of three – just like her character Stacey – welcoming Eva, six, Noah, four, and Kit, three, with actor husband James Thornton.
After the festive episode aired, fans marvelled at how well the actress – who was 30 when she made her debut as
Stacey – had aged. In the flesh, Joanna looks a good decade younger than she is, though she jokes her anti-ageing secret is down to a combination of motherhood, good genes and gin! She laughs, “I would like to say now that I haven’t had anything done – it’s just good genes! My dad looks so young.
It’s also down to having three children in the space of four years, then taking off six years to look after them! Then, before filming,
I was drinking gin in Cardiff for three weeks – so that must be why I look young and happy!” By Lily Smith
● Closer spoke to Joanna at the premiere of Cirque du Soleil Luzia. Visit Cirquedusoleil.com