Balancing motherhood and a television career

Looked at my phone and it said James Cordan, Miss Core, the bat phone. Yeah. it's time I was rather for you. I remember he came up to me and he said, I've just thought that you were rubbish. but it's not that you're rubbish, it's that you're Welsh. Take me back to the moment that you got the part in Gavin and Stacy. If I do not get this, then I am furious I am done. One of the biggest TV shows of all time and one of the biggest films of all time. loveove actually. I remember phoneing my momum going, Oh go, I't know it for goodness sake Johanna pull yourself together. It's just like some bathing to was on the beach. And then I just remembered just before going on set, Liam Neson came up to talk to me and he said H Welcome, Jo.! Thank you for having me. It's so lovely to see. I've not seen you for blooming ages, I? Yeah I think the last time I saw you was at the screening of Dialm for Middle S school. didn't we have a laugh? Oh, we did. it was really good fun. I haven't had a job like that in ages. You know, where you just we laughed and laughed No they had to stopers chatting. weren't they' be like, now we have to stoppers chatting to do actual act I know it was funny when you said before you murdered. I was a murere No When I was coming here, I thought I can't rememberoiler murere it was. But I'm saying I wonder if it was Sally and it was you. It was such augh thought job. It was one of those gifts that came from nowhere. Yeah. and I was on holiday And I remember getting the job and it was an offer. and I remember thinking have I've literally just come on holiday I've done myive job. And then I read the script and I went, Steve, you have to do. Gotta go again, Gotta go. What about Jason Donovan as well? remember him? I mean, oh my gosh, growing up and just listening to like, you know Kylie and Blinkking Jason little Shany, though Well, yes, she got so head up. She had to kiss him, she got so hit up. Before the scene, she went in when the scene that she had to kiss him and she'd ended up getting a cold sol. and going remember going ono the set and she went, Joe, Joe, come here. And we went into the dress room. She was like that and I went, what have you got tonsilitis? She said, No, I got a cold sol. was because it was a big childhood crossro. Well, yes, and they should they've had to cut the scene now Absolutely. I showed no sympathy. I just it was hilarious start with some quick fire questions. So if you were Could answer these, my love? Yeah. Right, okay, Joe. Which TV show do you watch just a few wines? Oh, anythingy that's murder related at the moment, his and hers, although no actually I will say lately it's the Americans. The show The Americans with Matthew Reese and Carrie Rassll actually actually was in drama school with Matthew Rese and we already fancied him. And watching the Americans, I still really fancied him. and I just wanted to basically look and dress and be like Harry Russell. Oh Oh my Godd, Th these are quick fire ones. I' in me. You're not quick fire don't worry. I did't for one minute think you'd be quick fire It was just a little thing I said. Right, it would be your dream Nighting guest. Oh John Burnfell from Now do you remember the Walking Dead? I know, but he's really absolutely gorgeous. Walking Dad? Right The Walking Dead first ever series before Andrew Lincoln wakes up in the hospital, it starts. Oh my go, this looks like I've got a real obsession with him. It starts with Andrew Lincoln's wife and she's put in the washing out, N not that I've ever like replayed this scene in my head. And this man comes up behind her, sort of wrestles her to the ground and you think, o my Godd, is he a zombie? No, he's not a zombie. He's a really sexy John Berurnsfell and he starts trying to like Culate ye, yeah, but in a really nice way because actually there's a thing going on between the pair of them. then Naly Lincoln comes back and alls your boy. Obviously, apart from your husband. Yes, Apart from my husband. Of course, we have to say that spoiler Right, what's your best ons screen kiss you've ever had? I would have to say Paul Reese, who recently played The Battler in Saltburn. I really sort of had a bit of a crush on him because I saw him years ago because he's Welsh in a thing with Michael Sheheen. And then when I found out I was playing his wife, I was like, o my gosh And then I found out I was just really good friends with him and he's really, really lovely. Isn't it funny though? 'useve I've had the same TV husbands over the years. Have you? Yeah. have So Steve Edge is a of interest now is in obviously, I wrote that in Madame Lun. I first met him in Phoenix Nnights, which obviously, I wasnt of interest, but then I've played his wife. Oh my a few times over the years. I've been Mark Benton's wife, Dan Ryan's wife You know, and it's funny, I they keep do it Yeah. I think because of Gavin and Stacey, a whole chunk of me being from basically theyre like twenty nine to now forty eight, it's only ever being Matthew Hall. Yeah. becausecause there hasn't really been anybody because I've done Gavvin and Stacey and then just had like loads of kids But I wouldnt have to say with your actual husband? It's my actual husband. Now which TV family would you happily join? Which TV family? Well I was in the royal family. Oh yes. But I wasn't in the family. I was Twigy's girlfriend. that That was my very first job And that was possibly I think the funniest TV family. Oh my go, yes, that was. obbviously apart from Gvern Stacy, that's classic, but yeah. Oh my god. probably we' in the best TV family. I think because yeah, I mean, I can't say anything about because I know that makes me then go, oh my go, you know like H We goo and then you see Allison Steedman in H We go. I don't like it and it makes me feel jealous. So I would say if I can't be in the Gavin and Stacy one, I'd have to be in the Here We G go one because I almost feel I feel very territorial over our I Yeah, she is one of my absolute all time icon ices. I'm so jealous. I've never met her. Now this is Dad funny this question. What is your earliest TV memory It was being back home and like coming home from school or at the weekends, you know sitting in front of the telly with my tray on my lap. The microwave had kind of just been invented. So m mom would always do me a really good she would a past to bake which she put in like a glass jar. It as if she'd actually made up it' be microwaved and microw chips as well And sitting there and watching the eightam. It was all the eight team night ride Blockbusters after school, Gange Hill obviously, but I would say, oh my go the eight team. sit in there watching the eight team and it was just brilliant It was. now I've heard a little bird told me that you met face. Oh my Godd, I cant imagine this your first ever ever crash. So I' was thinking I must have been about maybe like nine, ten, eleven, you know around about that It's all starting. Yeah, when it's all starting and then my go, it's the eight teeen and then you've got Face who's absolutely gorgeous. beautiful blonde hair Gorgeous. Really like sexy and gorgeous and then years and years. and you're small and you're watching and that is it. That's your first crash. Years and years and years later, I was in Dick Whittington in Milton Keyes. King Rat was Dirk Benedict. O were you? early thirties And oh my go, he still goodge, He was very handsome. becausecause he was so classically good looking. He hadn't lost his looks. And if anything, you know, he'd aged really, really well. And he was just, oh my go, he was gorgeous. I went to pieces. I couldn't speak to him. I was just very like Hello, I'm Joe and I still meet you. didn't Don. From somewhere else. Yeah Hello Hello all of a suddenly for sorory. Not to be very Welsh so that you will understand me and we can talk to each other. But I thought I'm not a mitt end that it was my first ever crash and basically everything has formed from him I' my first crash. Th your look. Oh my god, he was just gorgeous and really lovely. I didn't know what the hell he'd been plonked into 'cause he's American. You know, I had the same simar thing. Who did you have it We know, we' both on Lse swimen. I did Lose swimmen, Adam Mon came on. Oh my go. I had the kids. I was about thirty. What was I forty? Yeah And I went L It we had isn't it? And he was so quiet and lovely, and he's quite short Yeah. and I'm thinking I would Yeah I would have died to have met you. Isn't it funny even know was' someone Yeah, there's some c one certain ones that when you were young and everything was first starting that you're still like, oh my go. Adam man, Aim Brown Yeah Joh Bon Jov. Oh my go. Mat. Mine was like take that, early, take that, you know. And then I remember years and years later, I met Mark Owen and I was in one of his when he went solo, I think it was his first day music video. And I'd go to somewhere in Kensington And I got a call saying he'd like to meet you. I think I'd done love actually. He'd like to meet you to be in his music video. And I remember getting to his office and sitting there just And I was wearing this candy pink skirt and I was going for a bit of a nineteen fifties vibe God knows. And he walked in and he was wearing this big like Spanish Federa type thing, this really big hat wouldn' sort of look at me was just chatting away and he wouldn't look and he seemed a bit quite shy. And I was like, Hi, I'm Joe, nice to meet you and But then but I had to kiss him as well, he might be my favourite screen kess becauseuse it was like, that's all your dreams come true. I kiss Mark Ow in from take that. And on that viewers going go to and take a little break. Now listen to a night in with Sally Lindseay every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts and watch it on YouTube. R I've got a little question now. am. Now in a recent UK survey, Love actually, which obviously you my darling starred in, was named the second most watched film at Christmas. Which film came in at number one? Os Camel, Answer afterfter the break. Welcome back to Nighting Mll and ine know. I've got the wonderful Joe page with me. What do you reckon is the most? Well I came to a first thought straight away which was the holiday because that is my favourite one, But then I'm thinking, No it can't be that. Then my next thought was it's got to be ellf. But then I thought, no, absolutely no, I'm going for Home alone. You know what? What? You're right. Come on. It's not Christmas for me, right? My mama always says, Ohh it's not Christmas till we've watched love actually. And I'm like it's not Christmas for them till they've seen their daughter Stark naked on the Taley acting out sex scenes with Martin Freeman. ' that is Christmas in Swan is he But it's not Christmas for me, right? you are my daughter's favorite film of all time, is love actually she just's obsessed with it And it is, you know, the some bits are quite dated What do you do? What? Some bits are not quite I mean it is a fantastic film, don't get me wrong. But oh my Godd, yeah, ours is elf. Yeah. We actually have ellf days. talalking a witch. you into acting. I've got the weirdest story. I was't I didn't do the dram. Well, I did go to an acting school in Manchester, which was brilliant, but I did University and English and all sorts. I went all over the place before I got to it. You did a more traditional route I did. Well, I must have had I was about like nine. I was really, really shy I didn't really like going into to people. Also, if there was anything like karaoke or standing up in front of people or performing, I didn't want to do any of that, right. But my mom sent me to elocution lessons because she just said, I just want you to be able when you grow up to go into an interview, well well yeah, an interview, not an audition Go into an interview and be able just to talk to people and just have confidence even thought about acting or that it was a job or anything. So I said, oK, then all right. And then each year in Swansea Grand Theatre, there was a thing called the Bumbles and Mumbles. And they were like you say that again just for me. It was the Bumbles and Mumbles. And the Bumbles would come on was like a massive big gold ball and a pointy gold hat Pink ballet tights, right which I loved and ballet slippered. and you'd have to mime and act out words which were played in a tape recorder that adults were saying for like the different scenes, you know, like o you're on the beach and then we see your dragon and whatever and I'm acting it all out. and so that's the first thing I ever did. Then you got to Rada, which is yeah. And that imagine is like, you know, every time I walk past Rada, I think, I mean, obviously I' an established actress and worked for this years, but I still think maybe I should have gone to Rada and then I'd be a real actress. but What do you think about that? I wasowd of be T to be honest, Ran, I don't think you need to go to drama school because I think it's in you or it's not than you can teach somebody how to act. You know, it's e, you know and you go out and you just do because it's just instinctive. And I just thought that I'd get there and it would be really free and open and expressive and you can experiment and try out loads of different techniques and I was going to be with like minded people and it was going to be really lovely wasasn't like that at all. it was she a hell. I remember turning up for my first day got in there And it was obviously absolutely terrifying because for stters like, oh my God, I'm moving to London. I'm eighteen. I've never, you know, lived out of Swansecy. This is terrifying. But it was kind of like, I don't know if things have changed these days because I've never ever been back. But it was old school at what you would imagine really hard drama school to be like where they really tear you down, break you down, and then they just don't build you back up again. Why is the point of that? I don't know onn the first day we got in there and I just remember sitting in my acting room and we were all in a circle and we were just introducing ourselves and then this girl came in She was literally about five minutes late and she'd got lost going from one of the rooms to this job. do. And it was her first day. And so she was like five minutes late. She walked in and went, I' really sorry you know, I'm late. and it turned out to be Maxine Peak. 'cause she was in the same class as me and she walked in and I just remember our teacher going Absolutely berserk really shouting at her saying, how dare you turn up this lady? You've got no respect for anybody. You continue like this, you're not going to get. And I just remember sitting there thinking, oh my God, I don't I've never met people like this before. Why are you like this? I don't, you know, I just don't understand and I just remember thinking my go, if this is what it's going to be like It's just not for me. And then it just got worse. Can I say something that I suspect I've got a big think about this. Is was it because you were both working class? I think it was to be perfectly honest because it seemed to be if you were called like Pauli or Candada or, you know Sally or you know you're absolutely. Yeah, absolutely fine And I think it was, you know, with girls as well, because Maxie, she had a right hammer in about her accent. I had a hammer in over mine and being Welsh, you're too sweet, you're too you know, Welsh, you're too lovely or too whatever. We need to, you know make you play really matron and mothers and roles and you need to and I remember when we were starting to do accents, which obviously right, you've got to learn how to do. I remember them saying you need to start listening to radio four I didn't know what the hell Radio four was because all I listened to was fancy sound of. And I was too terrified to say, What is radio four? Well you know, I don't know what these voices are And I just remember them standing me in front of the class just going, You Rabash, Rabh. I don't know what to do with you It was really hard because I remember spending a whole t walking around sounding like Margaret Thatcher because they just wanted me to be matrionly and they'd give me, you know parts where I was playing like some fifty year old matriarch is your was aw awful. You're absolutely stunning young blond girl. What on earth you're not going to be playing them? What's And I'm sorry, if I am a bit rubbish at being really matroronly fifty year old women now because I probably would be really good at it now because I've had four kids. I'd Yeah. But I mean, you know, when you just turned eighteen and you're Welsh and it's pretty hard, you know, And I just remember the teachers just going, you rubbish, you rubbished, don't what to do with you And then I remember one day I started crying and she went, o gosh, she's crying now. Yes use the tears. Tell us about when you thought your father was gonna to die because he thought he had a brain tumor. I mean, it was bad And this director's assistant who had been working, you know in Rada, I remember he came up to me and he said, I know what it is All these years, I've just thought that you were rubbish. but it's not that you're rubbish, it's that you're Welsh. And that was it. I remember turning around walking out and going, I will never ever go back there again. There's nothing right in that sentence. I know there is' nothing right or encouraging or nurturing in that sentence. Yeah. so I think it's really changed me. I mean, I came out I managed to like keep going through it and I came out you're right, okay, you know I'm strong. I will get through this and it's you know stood me in good stead for how hard the business is. I mean it's really difficult and not much gets me down now. I mean people can slate me in reviews. I'm I don't care I' got it. Yeah.'ve been so many shows, but Love actually is like one of the well, you've been in one of the biggest TV shows of all time and one of the biggest films of all time. What was the audition like? Oh my gosh, it was terrify. Be Notting Hiller just come out. So I was like, o my go, you know, And then they sent me the script for Love Actually, but it was for the part of Sarah Ad It was played by Laura Linney. Oh God. And I read that part and I thought, I know I'm not right for that, but it doesn't matter. I'm not going to blink and get it anyway.'s a Richard Curtis film. At least I'm going to get to go to, you know, Palterbello, you know down there there and go to Nottinghill, go and go to his office, have a look and just go and meet him. That's all I was bes totally. Yeah, so I went down there and I was just like, oh my God met him Wend I saw the posters for nototing Hill and Fall weddings, and I was like Oh use this. Wend in red walked out and thought, rightight, o, you were absolutely fine, you're not going to get it. Chck the script in the bin. and just went for very yard and think about it. When the script first arrived, I remember reading it And I read it all and then my first thing that I said was, my God, I pity the poor souls who are going to be John and Judy And then my agent got in touch and said, You haven't got the part of Sarah, you're not right for it, but they want to see you for Judy because they think that you're funny. And I went, I don't know I'm sorry, I don't know, I don't think I can do that. And he was like, Oh darling, come on. it'll be our darling in that time, you know It's going to be your. So I went, okay, I'll go and meet for it, but I don't know if I can do that So I went to meet, you know Richard again, went in, read the lines, and you know, I was right for it and it was all I was so b for it. And then you was so throwway. Yes.. you so pedestrian what you were doing. That was a comment. And also, I've never thought of myself as sexy and I'm not a very sort of. You know, some women are just naturally sex that And so I'd always feel uncomfortable having to do sex scenes and love scenes and be attractive If I've got to be naked and talk and not be sexy, right? That's my under line of that. is my b. Yeah, donon't mind doing that, right? But still I was a bit like, oh my god And then they said, right, you've got the job. And then I was like, o God, I don't know I don't know. And then my agent said, Well, Martin Freeman from the office is playing John. So that made me go, all right, okay, well, that's fine because he played because he was in the office, that means he's not a pervert That was just like a justified b in my head, so we're gonna to be fine with that. And then I remember phoneing my momum going, Oh God, I't know it for goodness sake Joanna pull herself together. It's just like some bathing topppless on the beach So was like h right feet her like thenom. So I said yes and then went off and did the job. And then I tri to bury my head in the sand. I just sort of didn't really think about any of the nudities. Isn't it funny, when I've done lot these over the years and you just literally go There's a producer that described it to me and he said, actors have got a gene missing. Yeah. So if you said to any normal person, goo take your clothes off, go over there and simulate a love making act with that person Anyone were to punch you in the face and we say, Wh side do you we? Which size do you want? and can add a bit of tan? Yes we do. Well It's weird, isn't it? We earer in that. Yeah, but I just thought, right, okay, we're going shut it off. and then me and Martin had a rehearsal with Richard a bit before we had to go on set, right? So he said, right, we're going to work out which positions you're comfortable with doing which we're do which time. And so we kind of choreographed everything and then we just kind of went right okay, we'll leave it to the day there on the day and I remember being really nervous. they gave me, I went in and they had cut off bits of like everything was covered But if there was a shot from the side, everything was like sort of cut off and double sided you know stuck to usual. Yeah. Yeah. And I remember putting this thong on and thinking, o Oh go, I don't know. and then I realised I had it on the wrong way round. around and to be honest with you, it made no difference at all. And then I had to go into makeup and just stand there. I mean it's a bizarre job, isn't it? I stand there naked apart from this f strring and be sprayed down with tan because that's going to make it feel better. It G thing to do for a living, isn't it? And then I just remembered just before going on set, Liam Neson came up to talk to me And And he said, now listen, I know that you know what you're doing and you've talked through it all and you know, but you just know what you are gonna do and you stick to it. You don't let them do anything else or push. He was brilliant. Well I think for a male actor to say to you, donon't be pushed into anything. He was so protective and so lovely. I didn't actually time just go, Oh my god, that's so nice. you're really fly. All I could think of was, Oh my god, your accs and your eyes. You're just gorgeous. Oh my go, oh my go. A I gonna make it? Yeah A are doing it with you? Okay, now it's time for a break and can I ask a little question over the break? Which UK terrestrial channel launched in nineteen ninety seven? with a performance from the Spice Girls? They sang a special version of Manfred Mann's five four three two one. See you after the break So the answer to the question we posed before the break, what do you recckon Joe, Which terrestrial channel did the Spice Girls launch? It's got to be channel five. It's got. It's Channel five Ziga igar. Right. now we've got to go on Gavvin and Stacy. We've got to Now take me back to the moment that you got the part in Gavin and Stacy. Oh my go, Do you know what, right? I don't actually remember when I got the phone call saying that I got the part. I just remember being so depressed because I'd lost out on dirty dancing in the West End. And I just remember thinking that's it, I'm done. O. I've tried everything now and it's just not working anymore. I am done And then my agent ph me and he said, I'm just sending you a script. It's for a show. I think you like it. It's a Welsh girl who falls in love with a boy from Essex. have a read, you know, think it's up your street. And I just remember getting the script and it said Gavin and Stacy. and it was the first time I was going for the part of a character whose name was in the title. Yes. I'm thinking, oh my gosh Oh this is exciting. opened it and it was Welsh and it was like South Wales. and I started reading and I thought, o my God, this is I know this voice. this is is family. And this this actually is me. I've never read anything like this before. This actually is what we are like in Wales Where' this come from And so I remember reading it all and was just it was really hard because I thought if I do not get this, then I am furious, I am done. Literally written for me. Yeah. And so I went down to Leicester Square and I met Ruth, you at the audition, got on really well with her and she was really lovely And apparently I went into the audition and all I did was just talk and talk and talk. and they said, Joe.. I think we've met Stacy. but Stacy originally was supposed to be a bit harder, like Nessa. She was supposed to be a bit rougher and just a bit much more like Nessa And I went in and played it just like me and then went back for the recall to read with Matthew Horne. was really nervous because I was like, o my god, it's that fellowa whos and Catherine Tate. He's really edgy, he's funny. you know, he's done stand upp, he's a comedian. I'm just, you know some classically trained act dress I went to Rada. I'm not a stand up, I can't do comedy. This kind of was my first ever comedy. And when I've played Stacy, I've never thought of being funny. I always play her completely f. Yeah you do. It's brilliant., That's how it should be though. Well, yeah. And' in the writing isn't it? It's the writing, your performance And the situations that m the reality of the character come out, I Yeah. And so I just remember doing the recall with Matt. And beforehand, Ruth had said, That's all absolutely brilliant, but can you do a card of accent, which is Nessa's accent And I was like, o I don't believe this. For the one time I get to audition for something Welsh and I still can't do my own accent So I remember thinking, notot doing it, not doing it. I'm just going to make up the accent on the spot. And so Cardiff is like, Krediff Yeah then it' like down here. Yes, really like it's just a lot harder And so I went in, started reading with Matt, and I started doing it all very well. She like O gav, Hello. and what are you doing? you know? And Ruth had to stop the audition and say, willill you just come outside so I can have a word with you? And I just went, what are you doing? Why are you talking like that? when I'm trying to do aard of accent. So she said, Or, you just sound awful, justust go back to doing it' Fy. So I went back in, read with Matt, we just clicked and that was it. Then when I left, I thought, rightight, something's going to be seriously wrong if I haven't got that part. And then not wr after that, then I found I got the job But but I remember being so sort of bewildered because I thought I'm in something. My name's, you know, the character's name is in the title and Alison Steedmond's playing my mother in law and Rob Bryyden is my uncle. I can't believe it. Did you feel magic onc set like? yeah, we started and we just all clicked spit away. We didn't have to work on building up as a family. We all just slid straight into our roles. I think it was cast so well That straight from the get go. Oh my gosh, it just worked. But yeah, we just had a right brilliant time. It was really really fun Did you do lot Iagine do lots of courtsing on set.? Oh Godd, yeah. Rob Riden is Well, if you're working with Rob Ridden and he's got something funny to do.. I mean, he would just like, you know, he'd have that glint in his eye and he'd push something extra and also with un When around? Yeah, he's wearing a vest and he's got just shaving foam down one side of his face and he just knows what to say just to make you giggle. The worst one for me though was Julia Davis Because I just watched her in my loveight I meet her. Oh, I absolutely adore her. She is so funny. Sheuch such a fan. And she would always play everything on the edge. So I'd always remembered the bit with Pete and Dawn, you know when they're new in their vows Yeah it was terrible, right? We were all in the room and they're standing up and I think they're doing the song Ben, aren't they? They're doing that one like he's got, he's got that gigantic ring. And the thing with Julia is she's always everything she does, she's just on the verge of laughing I' trying to get through that with all of us looking each other and having to sit and just shake like that Oh, was just so much fun. but I remember one time Me and Matt were due on in the afternoon and everything was just like taking such a long time. And by the end of it, we'd gone through lunch and me and him were just running around the unit base messing about and like a pair of Lincoln teenagers, you know, causing trouble going into the office, seeing what we could do. because we be on set And it turned out that Allison was on set with Larry Lamb and Adrian Scarborough and then Julia. And it was the scene where she's saying that she's just watched the film Doubt. and with Philip Symour Hoffman, but she calls it Philip Dustin Hoffman, I think she. No and she's not saying about doubt, she's saying about that wonderful actor who's in Patch Adams. And Alison couldn't stop laughing because she was like, Philip Seymour Hoffman, such an amazing actor. but what Pam can remember him from in Patch Adams An it's D and half wom, she calls him and her and Julia would stop opposite each other. couldn't get through the scene. What they took all day? They just took all day. In the end, Christine Gurnan, our director were shouting at them. Everybody then eventually had to leave the room. Julia had to leave, thenen Chris had to leave and Alison had to sit in there with the cameras rolling and just direct all of the lines to nobody because she couldn't look at anybody and have anybody in the room. live on the Noraster. Yeah I was always really bad if I was with Ruth. Anything with Ruth, particularly when she was pregnant. I mean Nessa. And isn't it really weird, right? Something as if just like being in a different body position. I remember one scene where Nessa's lying on her back with her pregnant stomach and she's about to have a scan And just as she's lying on her back like that, I remember standing over her in fits of gigs and Chris the director around to really shout at me and go, Joe Paage, pullly yourself together. And they're just like set me off even more. What was it like when you got the call to do another the finale? What was? Oh gosh, it was it expected? or? about? I kind of expected we'd never talked about it, but the proper finale, was I just kept thinking, there is no way they can leave it with, you know, Nessa down on one ego Will you m God. But they never told us they were going to do anymore, but I always thought, I just can't imagine them leaving it like that. And so there was I had tonsillitis and I was running the bath and I walked out of the bathroom, walked back in, looked at my phone and it said James Corden, Miss C And I just remember looking at it and going, There's only one thing. then it's happening then phone. Yeah. it's time, it's time. And I remember phoning him back and it was like, o wow. But the really shocking one was the one when we'd had a ten year break when we did the one in twenty eighteen I thought that everything that was all over suddenly Ruth got in touch with me Yeah. Yeah. and that was the one I was really shocked about because I mean, that just came out of the blue. I thought that it was all over and that we were never going to do any moreore. And all of a sudden it was like, do you fancy coming back for a spe show? I mean, that was just couldn't believe it. And what was it like going back in that room again? likeike seeing everyone It's so weird isn't it when we go back and film Mam Lock Mount Pls a very similar sort of experience where we just had a wonderful time with these wonderful people It feels like you're going back to your family, doesn't it? Yeah But it's also quite scary because you think, am I going to capture magic again A we going and going put it all Yeahah, the twenty eighteen one and then the finale, I then had children. And I just thought, o my gosh, what if that makes me not be able to act anymore, M'm not the same person. And going back for the twenty eighteen one, I did slip straight back into it and it was really good fun and that was okay. but the last one, the last big finale I was still breastfeeding. my littleittlest one who's four now. So she must have been like about two and a half. Yeah. So I was feeding her I was properly fully in mum mode, which I hadn't been, you know with one before. And all I could think of was my mum And then suddenly going back, I remember we went for the read throughrow and I got into the room and for some weird reason it was August and I was wearing a vest and I practically had a panic attack. It was so hot I'd be taken to the bathroom and they removed my vest because I was really hot and I was like, I'm really nervous. what if I can't do it? What if I can't do it? And I thought, What if this baby sucked me dry? There's nothing left inside. I've got no creativity. I d inside Yeah And I went back into the room and I thought, my Godd, Stacy's got the first line. And it was packed in there and there was so like Yeahah, there was so much tension and then Chris gave a speech and then Ruth and Jame said something, Ruth got teary. I started crying before we'd even started And then they went right, okay, let's go. G go. And I opened my mouth and then luckily Stacy came back Wh why the hell wouldn't she? Because I'mroudly the same, you know, I am the character. And then we got going and it was all allright And I remember reading the script and getting really excited going, o, this is really good because you know Stacy's got her glasses on and she wants to spice things up with Gab and you know a little bit of role play. But then when it came to actually filming that, I got really nervous because I was still in mum I was like, this is really weird. I'm trying to act roleplay, but I'm still breastfeeding. Yeah. I don't know if I can merge the pet. mayaybe that would make it good roleplay. know It's amazing I remember going back to Mount Pleasant well starting Mount Pleasant when I was I think the boys for five months who were living in. Oh my God. And I remember having to get in a bath. Yes. Like I' literally had a sea section three minutes before. And I remember having to get in a bath with Dan Ryan and a load of, you know and getting glasses out and trying to be really sexy and you' speaking. like my is just can This is mental. I got like fe. You know I was thinking the other day, right? I did the master dancer six months after having my fourth Cesarean. Now obviously we've got our kids. Yeah. My kids are obsessed with Gvin and Stacey, literally obsessed And your kids aren't are they? Well, they've not been in the least bit bothered. Bys still aren't, but my daughter who's now twelve before the big finalle, she said, Oh my gosh, mummy, can we watch it now? So we started. And so I sat down with my twelve year old and then W my new I mean Bow must have been about three, Bu would sit on my lap and it was just all the girls and we started from the first ever episode and we did it. And it's the first time actually that I've gotten a bit of respect from my children. But it's really funny me my kids. I remember them coming home from school And they were about I think they were about ten and event Mom. Are you Paella and Wallace and Gret? And I went, Yeah. and he went Yeah. Aaome kid had come up to the playground and told he went, Why didn't you tell us I went becausecause you never asked. Oh my they' been watching it? Oh my Godd That's never to say And it was so funny. they're just not interested. And I remember when there were kids, every drum around, even animal in the muppets, they thought it was their dad. Yeah. So anybody drummed on the TV, they thought it was their dad. So time for a break now. and this is a little bit of TV trivia. Now ten years ago, this year, Stranger Things launched ten years ago But what is the name of the parallel dimension? And we'll see you after the break Welcome back to a Night in with Sally Lindsseay. So follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube search a Night in with Sally Lindseay. Now before the break, I asked the question ten years ago, this year Stranger Things launched. but what is the name of the parallel dimension? Do you know that Definitely the upside down. Do you know my kids are not into at all? Really? No, they're not into at all. Finally, with your four kids, your massive career and your lovely husband, when you do get time for yourself what television do you secretly watch? What's the one you go, right? No one's here, No one likes it, Bosch. Oh, well, the night manager recently I've not seen that. Oh my God. You got a right fak. you've got series one, Tom Hiddleston. It was the first time that I discovered just how suave and amazing and he's such a good actor. He's just brilliant. So youve got series one which is brilliant Yeah. and then series two, I've just watched. Oh, it's just Hel Laurian as well Yes, Yes. And but I couldn't believe that Hugh Lai terrified me so much And I think as I've had the kids back to back to back, I've basically fed them for about ten years solid. So and I'm still sleeping in bed with Beau and she's now four. I don't think I'm ever going to go into the marital bed again I went in recently, because Jame, for goodness sake, you ever get pregnant, I'm not I get pregnant again. but I like Go I know. I can't Ris. We can't have a bh. I'm still with her because I like getting into bed, I'll read to her, she falls asleep, then I catch up next to her and I put my headphones in and then I'll start watching stuff on my phone. And then I don't have James coughing through it or talking through it eating through it. I really like just getting really involved in it. So you know, at the moment, I'm watching his and hers whichich is with John Bounfell. And it's like a detective murder. Anything that's detective murder mysteries. We've just started watching evil And it's dead old. Yes. And it's sort of like a paranormal thing. It's really interesting but we just got into that and we' watching we watch really weird things that people are but yeah, I do like that. I do actually my husband's quite well behaved actually, just Yeah know I like watching quite a lot of documentaries which are a bit really quite serious ones. and James and I, we don't have a lot of time off during the day together, but there was one day where we did have time off and I say, Come on, let's sit down. Let's watch some teelly together. I started him off with a documentary about the Titan. Is it the Titan or the Tritan? You know the one going down to and it imploded. So we started off with that documentary, which was fascinating but really harrowing. Then we watched another documentary which was really full on real life about this man who was building rockets. I think he's Danish, building rockets to go up into space, but also make submarines. And then he ends up taking a journalist down in the submarine and then he murders her. And it's a documentary all about that thing. and they were filming him in real life about his rocket launching And they've somehow managed to capture this whole crime that happens at the same time. That's the second one we did. And then it got to the third one. and I said, Right, come on, let's watch, you know, another true crime one. Shall we watch the Ted Bundy tape?. And James went, I just think it's a little bit too much now Joe. It's a bit too much. Can we just G get. So that's the sort of stuff. I think because I'm known for being like this comedy and whatever.' ye if I'm sitting down and watching something, I like it. One of the best things I've ever seen is the bridge, the original, the bridge, you know, and I think it's Danish as well. I'm not sure but it's all subtitled.' brilliant.ridge is brilliant. Ohh. Yeah.id you say that's your favorite TV show. Favorite one ever with Saga Narang, is it?.. Yeah, the brridge. That cat, her leather jacket, her long blonde hair, the fact that, you know, just her personality, the way that she is I just are watching That is a character That. That is who I wna be. I've just remembered something from ages ago when we started. The line that made me laugh in Dym for Middlesborough. Yeah. And it was when you were saying about bread Do you remember? What was the line? Becauseuse basically you'd come up, you were a housekeeper, weren't you? Yes. And you came in, I can't remember the line, but I remember I had to go, don't look her. Don't look her. a bit like Alison saidedman. Don't look her. because you came out and and it was basically what you'd done, you'd cut some bread open, put some bread in it and then there's a bit of bread in there. And then you were like, you've called it bread And it was just it was the way you said it. And I remember saying is you open the bread and you put the bread in it and then there's a bit more bread and and it's quite breadady. Yeah. And I remember the way you said it and I was going, Oh, don't do it again. Don't do it again. don't It was just so Oh, that job was so funny.. Oh my God I mean, I moan on set nowadays at fifty two if I have to wear heels. Oh me too. I can't even imagine wearing them again. I am done with that And I've got my DOPce,'s a beautiful fellow calledun Van Hales And he said, I should have an autobiography. Yes. and it should be called Sean, can you see me feet? My God, I love that. But M loads of actors say, Well all you see whatever. My character starts with my feet. Yes, so as soon as I'm wearing the shoes, that's. Rob. I remember doing a scene with Ruth and we were on Barry Sefront And it's when Stacy, I've got my black Maros top on. I'm behind know the little counter, and Ruth is standing next to me, and we're doing a scene chatting. And then I was wearing black tracksuit bottoms and flip flops 'causeuse I was like, there's no way that I'm gonna be wearing my little, you know shorts and everything. And halfway through the scene My trousers just fall down row my ankles. and Ruth tries to carry on. I was chatting away thinking on these with all the chann. and Ruth just went, I'm sorry, I can't carry on. Your trousers have fallen down and theyre your ankles. But it's true, you're like, whereere's the frame I'm I from herep. Okay? C I have my egs? I could have like bird legs on a ander. Yeah. I don't know maybe. Maybe I'm not doing it properly, I don't know but it certainly doesn't start with the feet for me. Now, as in podcasty Skyy Jo, Yeah, we're gonna do a little quiz But it's about your career. Oh God, I love stuff like this. I get very competitive. I'm gonna be getting competitive with yourself. I love it In Gavin and Stacy, what's the full name of Nessa's son, Neil the Baby Oh, it's Neil Noel Edmundund Neil Noble Edmund Smith. Yeah, Neil Noah Edmund Smith, who definitely go. I actually was then thinking, what's Smithy's name? And it's Neil Smith, isn't it? go Smithy. Midy M Midy. The last ever episode of Gamin and Sacy became the UK's most watched TV program page was shown on Christmas Day in How long Oh my gosh, gosh, I don't know. I'm gonna say well, I want to say twenty years. I'm gonna go with twenty years. You'reot far off. twenty three years. Really? You got nineteen point one million. Oh my gosh. D different league. You smashed it. in this day and age that is own believable mate. So true or false, the airport montage at the start of love actually is really of actual people being united at the airport? Is it true with hidden cameras? It's true It's true. Yes it's true. So they just filmed people Yeah they just filmed like all real people actually. And I think you can sort of kind of tell that as well. C't you can see like the real love there Yeah, totally. I remember when my kids had been asking, canan they watch love actually? I'm like, well, You won't be able to see a lot, but you will be able to see mumy in an airport and at an activity Yeah. I know that's a funny one isn't it when you show Yeah They know that I'm naked in it though, and I've explained exactly what I'm doing. because when you get to the school playground, sudden you they're like Y yourum's in love actually. Yes Yes. I'm just wondering when that's going tip over to like How old were you when you did it twenty three or twenty twenty five you don't think I'm gonna to tell me four kids that I've got my knockers out in the biggest film of all time. I know, you don't, you. You know what? it worked because you were brilliant. Now we have both been guest presenters on Lse Women. Yeah. Now are the following real topics the show is discussed now, it's a funny old show into it sometim Oh sometimes you're talking about the cost of living and then you're talking about air fries. Yeah. So I mean, I was years ago when I did it, but I think we're talking about what? Okay, I'll form an opinion. Yeah. Okay Now, these are the topics that are done in that little meeting room upstairs and when you meet. Should there be school trips to the vagina Museum? Oh that's a topic. Was it a topic? or is it true or false to say that it's true But I kind of think it's not, but I would like to say it's true and I think that there should be tr. I think you'd be right. Yeah. And there should be because, you know, Yes. S should know what's going on down there, shouldn't we? Definitely And now this another topic Would you hire a clown to scare your child? Is that true or false? No, I think that is false. Although no actually, it's loose women. I'd say that it's true. And you could try true. This is the last topic Is your fridge ruining your relationship Oh I of want to say yes as well to be honest, because I mean, I can imagine why it would for all sorts of different reasons. The noise is the noise too much? Is it off cutting? You know your husband going in, doeses he steal the stuff? Do the kids steal the stuff? Yeah, I would say yes. Well, it is fake, but the answer is more ridiculous The topic was, is your dishwasher ruining your relationship. I can completely understand why it would be ruining your relationship because it's a stacking. And James, right? he gets what I can't understand is James has to swell all of the plates before he then puts it in and we argue about that every single time. My husband stacks a dishwasher like a psychop s he Is he militant about it? No It's ridiculous. He's piling all on. I'm like that what is that? How is that ever is anything going to get clean in this machine? Yeah. And I love him, but there there's a limit. Have you discovered though with dishwashers that if you do the baton or something on the sides you can slide like that now Yeah. And then it was a revelation to me when I did both battons and then the whole thing dropped so I can put B more stuff in. Amazing. I know I only found that when the guy came around to fix it. Really you never dropped it anywhere. No. Yeah. Joe, you're an absolute legend. I love you to death and it's so lovely to see you. Thankk you for coming on. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for having. Love to see you again. loveoly seeing you again. Oh love her Listen every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, watch me on YouTube and follow us on social media by searching a night in with Sy Lindseay. Thank you for watching