Joanna Page is a Welsh actress best known as Stacey Shipman in the hit BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, writes Lee Boyce.
She is also a TV presenter, has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and one of her first movie credits includes Love Actually, when aged just 23.
The 48-year-old trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) and will be in the upcoming series of the Channel 4 show Taskmaster.
She is married to actor James Thornton and they live in Oxfordshire with their four children.
Star quality: Joanna Page is best known for Gavin & Stacey, but she trained at Rada, has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was in Love Actually
What did your parents teach you about money?
Mum and Nan made money not seem like such a scary subject.
Mum worked for Lloyds Bank and Dad did car MOTs. Mum was so organised because of her job and, while Nan didn’t have much money, she was the mindset of spend a little, save a little.
When I was seven, Mum opened a Post Office account for me, and with any birthday money she would say: ‘Buy yourself a toy, but the rest is going into savings.’
All of this has had an influence on me. I don’t have many credit cards or much debt – if I don’t have the money to buy it, I don’t buy it. Save, then buy it.
Mum helped organise my money when I was at Rada, and it was a good job too. I remember blowing money at Portobello Road on shoes, a big learning experience. When I got married, she went: ‘I’m handing it all over now – you’re a married woman.’
Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?
Different people and companies sponsored me to be at drama school, and when I left at 21 my first job was at the Royal National Theatre earning £250 per week.
It was the first time I was earning, and it was exciting. But as a self-employed actress, money is unpredictable. You don’t know what job is coming next. At one point I was out of work for a year.
When James and I had just bought a home in East Dulwich, south-east London, we were both starring in two different television series – and all four, we believed, were to be commissioned for a second series.
We thought, here we go, we have security. Then, shortly after, all the shows were axed.
It was terrifying but we scraped through – me by working at a shoe shop, James by doing voiceovers. Then, luckily, we started getting acting work again.
Tidy: Joanna with Gavin & Stacey co-star Mathew Horne
Have you ever been paid silly money?
Gavin & Stacey didn’t pay well at all – co-star Mathew Horne and I were laughing recently at how badly.
We were both complete and utter unknowns. We were just so grateful, and I’d have done it for free.
But afterwards I started doing adverts, fashion and modelling work for make-up brands. It was great fun and paid well.
Also, James and I married young – at 24. In the ten years between having children, what we earned was silly money – it was there for us to do what we wanted with it.
What was the best year of your life financially?
The commercials and work with make-up brands paid well enough for us to move out of Dulwich in 2012 back towards Wales, in the countryside, to start a family.
I was earning well – we just saved and saved.
The most expensive thing you bought for fun?
Clothes, handbags and shoes when I was younger.
When I was first getting invited to events like the Baftas, I wasn’t well known enough to borrow outfits, and went through a period of constantly asking the question: ‘What am I going to wear?’
I was really into fashion, but now I’m more comfortable in something practical. Expensive fun is now family holidays.
What was your biggest money mistake?
When James and I started earning more money, we put more towards the mortgage – I wish I’d learned about investing earlier.
We dabbled in stocks and shares, but I put a stop to it – I’m cautious because of Mum and Nan. It was scary and I didn’t have the confidence to ride things out.
We bought a holiday flat in Bulgaria. We’ve always bought property, but this one was a mistake and we lost money – the first and only time.
I also once bought clothes from a high-end shop, none of it fitted and I missed the return date – and they refused to refund me. In the end, James pleaded my case, pretending to be my agent, and managed to get a credit note.
Best money decision you have made?
Buying my first home, near Wandsworth Common in south-west London. I stepped in with my Jack Russell and immediately said: ‘I’ll take it.’
I ended up selling that for a profit, James sold his home in Crystal Palace, and we bought our East Dulwich home together.
When we sold that, we made quite a bit of money. We have our home in Oxfordshire as well as flats in Swansea that we let out and a cottage in rural Wales.
Will you pass your money down or spend it all?
Because of my background I want to ensure I can help my children – support them financially and make sure they’re safe.
I’m aware they’ve got a more comfortable life than I did at their age. My eldest is about to turn 13 but really wants a job, mainly to buy her first phone – I keep telling her I didn’t have one until I was 21.
I am quite tight with the children. I’ll splurge on Christmas and birthdays, but not during the rest of the year. And, like Mum and Nan taught me, if they get cash for birthdays, they can spend some, save some.
Do you have a pension?
I’ve got my Equity pension [a scheme for the performing arts and entertainment trade union], which has been brilliant.
But it’s difficult as a mum – I took eight years out of the business having children. Everybody was on the same level when I left – but they’ve then all moved forward.
If you were Chancellor, what would you do?
I’d make things more equal when it comes to women and help those coming back to work after having children – try to put things on a level playing field.
What is your number one financial priority?
I’ve been making sure money is coming in and throwing myself into it – I wrote a book last year and recently launched a podcast, Lush, with James.
I want to retire one day – I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to, with four children and having my last one at 44.
With extra money coming in I’m now thinking how I can invest that to make sure I’m not just going to blow it on day-to-day life.
- Joanna has teamed up with Scottish Widows to help people feel more confident about taking their first steps into investing, highlighting how saving even a small amount regularly can add up to a brighter financial future.
