Joanna Page Fast-Forwards Awkward Love Actually Scenes

Joanna Page has revealed she fast forwards through her nude scenes while watching , after writer admitted he regrets asking the Gavin & Stacey star to strip for the festive classic.

The actress, 48, has begun rewatching the film at the insistence of her young children, having previously only seen it once at a Welsh film festival shortly after its 2003 release.

Joanna plays a body double who films a sex scene alongside fellow stand-in , who also appears nude in the role. Their characters later strike up a romance after nervously arranging a date, in one of the film's intertwining storylines.

The mother-of-four, who shares children Eva, 13, Kit, 10, Noah, nine, and Boe, four, with husband of 26 years, James Thornton, says she remains proud to have been part of such an iconic movie, but admits the scenes could prove 'embarrassing' in years to come, particularly when her sons reach secondary school.

Explaining why she skips the more revealing moments, Joanna said: 'I've explained to them what my part is - that I'm a stand-in on a film set for nude scenes, so mummy is sort of naked. And I've told them how they stick bits on you so certain things can't be seen.

'I've said to them there are some bits that mummy has to fast forward through but you will get to see me in a nativity and in an airport. So I say you can see me in those bits but the other bits mummy will have to fast forward through.'

She continued: 'But I'm so open and honest, I've been breast feeding for 12 years off and on, so they're so used to my boobs and my boobs being hailed as this amazing thing and Boe constantly now for the past four years will walk into the house and say "I want boob, I want boob." 

'Mummy's boobs are kind of the norm, it's not as if mummy's boobs aren't being seen day to day in the house, so they're kind of cool about it.' 

Discussing how her sons might react in years to come, she told the White Wine Question Time podcast: 'Once the boys probably get to secondary school and if the film is still being shown they'll go "Oh my God mummy I can't believe you've embarrassed us so much" but we'll have to deal with that when it comes.'

Speaking in 2019, Love Actually writer Richard, 69, said Joanna and Martin's love scene is the one moment in the film he would change. 

He said: 'I think the naked people should be wearing more clothes.' 

Joanna may find certain scenes awkward to revisit, but her parents have no such qualms.

In fact, she has revealed that watching Love Actually has become something of a festive tradition for them - insisting that putting on the beloved Christmas classic marks the official start of the holiday season in their household.

She said: 'My parents say "It's not Christmas until we've seen Love Actually" and it's hilarious because it's not Christmas until they've seen their daughter stark naked on top of Martin Freeman, but that's like a really Christmassy wholesome thing for them. They love it.'

Joanna also reflected more broadly on filming sex and nude scenes throughout her career, describing many of the experiences as 'awful.' 

Now in her late 40s, the actress admitted she hopes her days of performing sexily on camera are behind her - though she hasn't completely ruled out appearing nude again in the right role.

She said: 'Oh God, they're awful. Luckily now I'm 48, I doubt very much I'm going to have to do anything like that again unless I am doing something where I've got to be naked and either I'm kind of going mad and not being sexy, I could cope with that. 

'I think I could cope with running around naked on stage, it's even the nakedness that bothers me, it's just embarrassing being on set, and it's everyone else's embarrassment as well.

'There's always this atmosphere before you arrive and everyone's quite nervous and trying to make it seem alright and I don't know if it was better in the olden days when you were working with somebody that you kind of knew and you could go through it yourself and go right, we will start kissing and maybe do this and do that. 

'If you're working with somebody who you're really comfortable with and know them really well.' 

She added that filming sex scenes with Mathew Horne, her Gavin & Stacey co-star, became natural over time, thanks to the years they spent bringing their iconic characters to life.  

Joanna said: 'With Mat Horne, I have worked and done scenes with him for 20 years, so we don't even need to rehearse the scenes at all, speaking or kissing, we always know what the other one is going to do and we completely trust each other.' 

Joanna's confession about Love Actually comes after she spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail about her marriage to fellow actor James Thornton, admitting that many aspects of their relationship are 'rubbish.' 

She said the couple have 'massive arguments' and refused to sugarcoat their relationship, blaming clashes between his 'Northern, measured' temperament and her 'manic, impulsive and fiery' nature - meaning they are rarely 'lovey dovey.' 

She even suggested they might not have survived had they adopted the less patient approach she believes some younger couples take. 

Yet despite its flaws, the marriage has lasted, and the couple are now preparing to offer a warts-and-all insight into their life together on the podcast, where they will also dispense advice to other couples.

She said: 'If you're going through 26 years of marriage like me, it's not always going to be wonderful, it's going to be pretty rubbish, and sometimes, you end up hating each other, you get bored of each other, they will really annoy you, and suddenly it will be wonderful again.

'You can't be with someone for 26 years and it be wonderful all the time. These days, people say, it's not working, let's just split up, and to go through 26 years, we're lucky because we have grown on the same path so we still have the same thoughts and opinions. 

'Yes, we do disagree with each other, we have massive arguments, but we have grown on the same path. We bicker all the time, we're not all lovey dovey. He's quite slow, and northern and measured, and I'm very manic and hysterical next to him and very impulsive and fiery.

'Be prepared, you have to work at marriage, don't give up at the first sign of hard work. Always be kind and have a good sense of humour.'

Joanna met fellow actor James on the set of the BBC costume drama David Copperfield in 1999, and they married four years later.

They have since welcomed four children and are now navigating life with a teenager at home.

Joanna admits Eva's hormones are 'all over the place' and says that witnessing her daughter's mood swings firsthand has given her fresh sympathy for James, having displayed similar behaviour herself during their marriage.

She explained: 'I'm like, "Oh my God, is this what it's been like living with me all these years?" because it's probably been quite difficult. 

'She stormed up the stairs, her emotions were flying everywhere, halfway up the stairs, she turned around and gave me the finger. There's been plenty of door slamming.

'I think, this must be what it was like for my husband James, premenstrual and I turn around at him screaming because he hasn't cut an apple the right way. And two seconds later I'm completely fine.'

Now Eva is a teenager, Joanna says she is finally old enough to watch Gavin & Stacey - a milestone that has led to some awkward viewing at home.

In particular, she admits cringing during scenes in the opening episode when her character Stacey first meets love interest Gavin, played by Mathew Horne, which culminate in the pair spending the night together in a London hotel.

Joanna said: 'It's funny because now Eva is turning 13, it's the first time she has sat down and watched it.

'My God, there were bits especially in the first series that I really had to fast forward, "Oh mummy is just in a hotel room now, doing a bit of kissing" - it was quite racy in the first series.

'But now it's become our thing and she loves watching it, it does keep going through new generations. I will always be remembered now as a 29-year-old cute little blonde and that's fantastic, that's fine by me.'

The beloved sitcom concluded in 2024 with a blockbuster finale that saw Smithy and Nessa, played by creators James Corden and Ruth Jones, finally tie the knot.

More than 18 million viewers tuned in to watch the last episode of Gavin & Stacey, cementing its status as a television event.

Its huge success fuelled rumours of a reboot with a new cast, but Joanna has all but dismissed talk of a spin-off, admitting she cannot imagine anyone else stepping into Stacey's shoes. 

She explained: 'I don't think it will ever happen. This is the only time that I have been 100 per cent, that is it, it's completely ended. I don't think it will ever be happen.

'It would be really strange, and I'd find it quite weird because I am so wedded to that character now. I started playing Stacey when I was 29 so it would be really strange - I couldn't see anyone else playing the part of Stacey.

'I think that's really, really weird, I don't think I would like it, I am so territorial around all of that.

'They really are like family. I don't think we would ever do anymore, I would happily do a special every single year, even just to meet up and have a party with all of my friends.'

But with a shiny new podcast to work on, Joanna has more than enough on her plate to keep herself occupied.

And now hubby James has become more relaxed in his new-found role of podcast co-host, the actress believes fans are really going to enjoy hearing about their lives - as well as their bedroom secrets - which she has compared to 'couple's therapy.'

She said: 'At first he was quite weary and nervous because he's never done anything like this before, and he was really worried he wouldn't think of anything to say but we were in the studio for two hours just chatting, we went in on an argument, we actually weren't even speaking, and I just said 'Right come on' and it was like couples' therapy. 

'We are like ships passing in the night sometimes because there's so much going on with the children that we don't have time to sit down and talk to each other. We talked and talked and talked and when it finished, he was like a new man, he was buzzing, and full of life and we really connected.   

'During one episode, we talked about all the things that are better than getting back into my marital bed after four years of sleeping with Boe.

'We know everything about each other, but it's quite liberating talking about those things and delving into those things.

'There are loads of different things that have happened to us over the years but sitting in a room and talking about our opinions, and asking our listeners, like we have had a whole debate about the heating.

'There's nothing off the table at all. We have been together for 26 years now, so there are no topics off limits.'