Tension between Joanna Page and her husband came into focus on her podcast when a chat about Spain turned heated.
The Gavin & Stacey star clashed with husband James Thornton on an episode of her Lush! podcast. They debated whether to move abroad with their four children.
James Thornton is an English actor and Joanna Page’s husband.
- He is known for playing John Barton in Emmerdale.
- He and Joanna Page married in 2003.
- The couple have four children.
- They have occasionally appeared together in interviews and podcast conversations about family life.
During their conversation, Joanna, 49, said the idea returns every year when they go away.
She said: “I now want to move to Spain. I say it every year,” and James replied: “Yes, every time we go away.”
Joanna Page clashes with husband on podcast
Joanna pushed the idea further when she asked why the family could not simply make the leap.
She said: “Why can’t we just go ‘come on, let’s up sticks’. What’s holding you back? We’re all going to die one day.
Let’s just all move to Mallorca.”
James answered with a practical concern. He asked: “You’d have to travel back here to work?”
Joanna said that would not be a major problem as she explained she would only need to return for a few days at a time.
She added: “I’d just be nipping back and forth.”
James still did not buy the plan. He said he would “never see” her if she kept travelling back to the UK for work.
That sparked the sharpest moment. Joanna told him: “This is where we’re different, and how I can’t believe that for the whole of your life you’ve put a limit on your experiences.”
When James tried to respond, Joanna snapped: “Don’t interrupt me, I know you’re about to interrupt me… let me finish my sentence.”
She then added: “You have got a limit on your experiences, and you’ve just decided you will never move to Spain or somewhere. And I don’t know how you could have decided that for the rest of your life.”
‘I’m going to move to Spain without you’
James stuck to his view, but he framed it more cautiously. He told her: “I think you like the idea of it all… I’d love to do it when we retire, we could do something like that.”
The mood eased soon after. Joanna joked: “I’m going to move to Spain without you.”
James fired back with a joke of his own. He said: “I’ll do the same then, I’ll be in the village across the way. Growing olives and making wine, eating meats and cheeses.”