Joanna Page, who stars in Gavin and Stacey and is currently appearing on Taskmaster, has shared how concerning health test results prompted her to overhaul her diet and lifestyle
Joanna Page has written about her weight loss (Image: ITV)
Gavin & Stacey favourite Joanna Page has revealed how she overhauled her lifestyle following a batch of worrying health test results.
The actress, currently featuring in the newest series of Taskmaster, shared that upon reaching 48 she opted to undergo multiple medical checks to gain a clearer picture of her wellbeing.
Now 49, the Swansea-born star underwent various examinations including bowel cancer screening, a mammogram, blood tests and a cervical smear.
The findings showed Joanna was carrying excess weight – a discovery she admitted wasn’t entirely unexpected.
She told the Daily Mail she “hardly ever included fruit or veg” in what she ate, underlining dietary patterns that had contributed to the result, reports Wales Online.
Yet the outcomes also struck a deeper emotional chord, causing her to contemplate future health risks more seriously. She said: “I started worrying about diabetes, strokes, and heart disease – long-term health complications I just can’t risk as a mum of four.”
The star is mum to four children — Eva, 13, Kit, 10, Noah, eight, and Boe, four — whom she shares with husband James Thornton, known for his role in Emmerdale.
After receiving the test results, Joanna revealed she made several significant adjustments to her everyday habits, with particular emphasis on her diet.
She began adding more wholesome foods to her meals while scaling back on unhealthier choices, citing examples such as consuming more eggs and reducing her sugar intake.
Following these lifestyle changes, Joanna revealed she has gone down “a couple of dress sizes,” though she stressed she has kept the aspects of her physique she values.
This is not the first time Joanna has opened up about her wellbeing and private life in recent times.
Earlier this year, she told the Mirror that her daughter turning 13 prompted her to reflect more seriously on what lies ahead and the inevitable moment when her children leave the family home.
She said: “We don’t have that many years left before she goes away to drama school or something and that has started to panic me a bit. The thought of her suddenly not being in the house makes me feel emotional. The other day, I sat in the bedroom and just cried and cried.
“I thought, ‘Life as I know it now… one day, it’s not going to be like this. Me and James will be left on our own here and they’ll be off, forming their own families.’”
Beyond her television roles and domestic life, Joanna has also broadened her professional horizons into authorship and broadcasting.
Following the release of her memoir last year and a subsequent promotional tour, she has now started her own weekly podcast.
She noted that the podcast — which has featured her husband as a guest — has strengthened their marriage.
She said: “We came out and he was absolutely buzzing, like a revitalised man, because we’d connected in two solid hours. Every single Friday, when I’m recording my episodes, it’s becoming our couples therapy.”
