Joanna Page facts for kids

Joanna Louise Page is a talented Welsh actress and presenter. She is best known for playing the character Stacey Shipman in the popular TV show Gavin & Stacey. This show even won a BAFTA award!

Joanna also appeared as Dora Spenlow in the 1999 movie David Copperfield. You might also remember her as Just Judy in the romantic comedy Love Actually from 2003. More recently, she has been a co-presenter on the BBC One show Shop Well for Less and joined Loose Women as a regular panelist in 2023.

Early Life and Education

Joanna Page was born in a place called Treboeth, which is in Swansea, Wales. She went to Mynyddbach Comprehensive School, where she was chosen as the head girl. After school, she studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and finished her studies in 1998.

Acting and Presenting Career

After graduating from drama school, Joanna spent about ten years working in theatre. She performed in many stage plays, especially historical dramas, for famous companies like the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. These stage roles helped her get parts in movies like From Hell and Love Actually.

Becoming a TV Star

Joanna became much more widely known when she got a main role in the BBC comedy series Gavin & Stacey. She played the character of Stacey Shipman. She was in all three series of the show from 2007 to 2010. Fans were excited when she returned for a special Christmas episode in 2019. It was announced in May 2024 that a final episode of Gavin & Stacey would be shown on Christmas Day 2024.

Other Notable Roles

In 2001, Joanna had a big role in the BBC drama The Cazalets. This show was about a wealthy English family during the Second World War. She also lent her voice to many TV and radio advertisements, including for Kingsmill bread and Carphone Warehouse.

Joanna has also performed in pantomimes, which are fun musical plays often performed around Christmas. She played Cinderella in Woking in 2009 and Alice Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington in Milton Keynes in 2010.

Presenting and Voice Work

In 2010, Joanna hosted the Sky 1 show My Pet Shame. She also became the new face of Superdrug stores in October of that year.

From 2011, Joanna was the voice of the main character in the first season of the children's animated show Poppy Cat on Nick Jr. Channel UK. In 2012, she appeared in the BBC One drama The Syndicate and the Sky Living comedy Gates. She also played Mrs Peterson in the movie Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger.

A very special role for Joanna was playing Queen Elizabeth I in "The Day of the Doctor". This was the 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who in November 2013.

More recently, Joanna started presenting the BBC One consumer series Shop Well for Less in 2021. At the end of 2021, she began co-hosting The Pet Show on ITV with Dermot O'Leary. In 2022, she appeared on The Masked Dancer as the character Pig.

Since 2023, Joanna Page has been a regular panelist on the ITV talk show Loose Women.

Personal Life

Joanna Page is married to an English actor named James Thornton. They both appeared in the 1999 TV show David Copperfield. Joanna played Dora Spenlow, and James played Ham Peggotty. Joanna and James have four children together.

Selected Works

Film Appearances

• 1999: Miss Julie as Servant
• 1999: David Copperfield as Dora Spenlow
• 2001: From Hell as Ann Crook
• 2003: Love Actually as Just Judy
• 2012: Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger as Mrs. Peterson
• 2020: Dolittle as Bethan Stubbins
• 2020: Dream Horse as Angela Davies

Television Roles

• 2001: The Cazalets as Zoe
• 2004: Mine All Mine as Candy Vivaldi
• 2007–2010, 2019, 2024: Gavin & Stacey as Stacey Shipman (Lead role)
• 2009: Mist: Sheepdog Tales as Fly (Voice only)
• 2010: My Pet Shame as Host
• 2011: Poppy Cat as Poppy Cat (Voice only)
• 2012: The Syndicate as Leanne Powell
• 2013: Doctor Who as Queen Elizabeth I (Episode: "The Day of the Doctor")
• 2013–present: Q Pootle 5 as Oopsy (Voice only)
• 2019: Midsomer Murders as Holly Ackroyd
• 2021–present: Shop Well For Less as Presenter
• 2021–present: The Pet Show as Co-Presenter
• 2022: The Masked Dancer as Pig
• 2023: Men Up as Moira Davies (Television film)
• 2023–2024: Loose Women as Regular panellist
• 2025: Joanna Page's Wild Life as Presenter
• 2025: Wynne & Joanna: All at Sea as Herself

Theatre Performances

• 2008: Fat Pig as Jeannie
• 2009: Cinderella as Cinderella
• 2010: Dick Whittington as Alice Fritzwarren
• 2011: Private Lives as Sibyl

Radio Advertisements

Joanna Page has also provided her voice for several radio advertisements:

• 2009: Kingsmill advert
• 2009: Carphone Warehouse advert
• 2011: Superdrug advert
• 2012: Sun Bingo advert
• 2020: Dreams advert

Awards and Recognition

In 2007, Joanna Page was nominated for 'Best Female Comedy Newcomer' at the British Comedy Awards.