Gavin & Stacey icon Joanna Page has shared the deeply personal moment her husband, actor James Thornton, broke down in tears after reading the heartfelt acknowledgements in her new autobiography.
Raw Honesty in Page's First Book
Appearing on James Martin's Saturday Morning on ITV, the Welsh actress discussed her freshly released memoir, Lush: My Story - From Swansea to Stacey and Everything in Between. Page revealed she was determined for her first literary venture to be 'brutally honest', admitting there were numerous instances where she considered pulling content for being too personal.
'I'm raw, I'm honest, I don't pull any punches,' Page confessed to the television host. 'There were many times where I just thought, 'pull it, I can't, it's too personal'. And then 'You know what, stuff it, I'm going to write it, I'm shoving everything into it'.'
Family Reactions to Personal Revelations
The mother-of-four recalled the amusing moment she revealed the book's contents to her family, with her husband immediately questioning his inclusion. 'My husband said to me, 'Am I in it?'' Page remembered. 'And I said 'Oh yes, just you wait and see, I have got a whole chapter dedicated to conceiving our last baby'.'
When James Martin inquired whether Thornton was comfortable with such personal disclosures, Page responded playfully: 'It's too late because it's all in print now.'
The Emotional Unveiling
The most touching moment came when Page presented her family with their copies of the completed book. 'When I first got the book and I gave them each a copy and wrote a message in for each one of them,' she shared. 'When they opened it and they read the dedication which is to them, my husband read the acknowledgements out loud.'
Page described the emotional scene that followed: 'When I get to the bit where it says 'Thank you to my family' and I start writing about him and the fact he got me through writing it. And he looked after the children and just gave me back massages and French martinis when I was feeling like I couldn't carry on, he was crying as he was reading it, it was lovely.'
Secrets to Marital Success
In a separate discussion with The Mirror, the television star opened up about the foundation of her 25-year marriage to Thornton, whom she met while both appeared in the 1999 television adaptation of David Copperfield.
'He makes me laugh and I love his personality,' Page revealed. 'We have the same views and ideas of how we want to live our lives. We love being together all the time.'
However, she was quick to acknowledge that their relationship hasn't been without challenges. 'But you don't get through 25 years without ups and downs. Of course we bicker and have arguments and go to bed not speaking, but we always wake up in the morning and never carry the argument on.'
The celebrity's autobiography promises to deliver an unfiltered look into her journey from Swansea to becoming one of Britain's most beloved television personalities, with family at the heart of her story.
