Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page has revealed how she made significant lifestyle changes after a series of health tests raised concerns about her wellbeing. The 49-year-old actress, originally from Swansea, underwent a full set of health checks after turning 48, including bowel cancer testing, a mammogram, blood tests and a cervical smear.
The results showed that Page was carrying excess weight, a finding she admitted was not entirely unexpected. She had previously told the Daily Mail that she “hardly ever included fruit or veg” in her diet. However, the emotional impact of the results prompted her to take a more serious view of potential long-term health risks.
“I started worrying about diabetes, strokes, and heart disease – long-term health complications I just can’t risk as a mum of four,” she said. Page shares four children with her husband, Emmerdale actor James Thornton: Eva, 13, Kit, 10, Noah, eight, and Boe, four.
In response, Page overhauled her diet, incorporating more nutritious foods such as eggs while cutting back on sugar. As a result, she has lost “a couple of dress sizes” while maintaining aspects of her figure she is happy with. She is currently appearing in the new series of Taskmaster.
This is not the first time Page has spoken openly about her health and personal life. Earlier this year, she told the Mirror that her daughter turning 13 prompted her to think more deeply about the future. She also hosts a weekly podcast, which she said has become “couples therapy” for her and her husband.
