STAR ON NEW
She spent years delighting millions of viewers in Gavin & Stacey but now you are much more likely to see Joanna Page on screen as herself.
The actress is planning to give up acting and dedicate her career to TV presenting.
Joanna, 44, who is set to host ITV’s The Pet Show from Sunday, is hoping the change will make life easier as she prepares to welcome her “surprise” fourth child.
Welsh star Joanna says: “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.”
Together with ex-Emmerdale actor husband James Thornton, she has three children – eight-year-old daughter Eva, and sons Kit, six, and Noah, four.
Joanna says: “For the first six months after I had Eva I was away working filming two shows back to back.
“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.
“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.”
But one acting job that would tempt her back is reprising her iconic role of Stacey.
Presenting can be a lot more fun than sitting alone in a trailer for hours
The last time she played the part was for the Christmas special two years ago – and she reveals the rest of the cast including Rob Brydon and Alison Steadman want to do more.
“We all want to know what Smithy said at the end,” says Joanna, who has recently been seen presenting BBC One consumer series Shop Well for Less.
“It’s such a great job. You’re working with people who make you laugh all day long like Rob Brydon. The Christmas special felt like a big reunion.”
Joanna, who studied at RADA, has previously spoken about almost giving
career after she lost out on the lead role in a West End production of Dirty Dancing in 2006.
A year later, she became a household name alongside Mathew Horne in Gavin & Stacey, where she also starred with writers James Corden and Ruth Jones.
Joanna says if the show made a return it would be “very out of the blue” as was the case when James and Ruth
JOANNA PAGE ON WHY SHE IS LOVING HER CHANGE OF JOB