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Joanna Page, known for her role in “Gavin and Stacey,” has revealed an incident of alleged inappropriate touching by a TV host, despite prior warnings.
The actress recounts being informed by a female producer that the host could be “very handsy” and was “probably going to start touching you”.
According to The Times, these allegations are detailed in her forthcoming book, “Lush!”
Page stated that she is refraining from naming the individual for legal considerations.
The 48-year-old actress said: “Halfway through filming, he starts groping me.”
“I hit his hands and said, ‘What do you think you’re bloody doing? I feel like I’m in Bristol Zoo being mauled by the lions.'”
She confirmed that the behavior ceased following her reaction.
“It was bizarre, a female producer telling you this was going to happen, but it’s what you got used to,” Ms. Page added.
In an interview with The Times, the actress also reflected on the circumstances surrounding her casting as Stacey Shipman, noting she was working in a shoe shop at the time.
“It was the first time since leaving drama school I’d thought, ‘I know these voices! I know this world!'”
“My mum is exactly the same as [Stacey’s mum] Gwen. If you’re miserable or upset, she’s like, ‘Do you want an omelette?’
“Before I first went to London my uncle Anthony gave me a rape alarm, just like Stacey’s Uncle Bryn.
“This part was mine. It was sacrilege if it went to someone else, who was either putting on an accent – although you’re allowed to do that, I have done my entire career – or they had famous parents, or they were just famous.”
She further disclosed that had she not secured the role, she would have abandoned acting altogether.
She told the paper that at the audition [Ruth] Jones told her to adopt a Cardiff accent.
“The one time I get to go for something Welsh, I still can’t do my own voice.”
Page added she had no idea what a Cardiff accent sounded like, so made one up.
“Ruth took me outside and said, ‘What are you doing? Just talk the way you normally talk.'”
She did, won the part and Jones and co-writer James Corden altered the script to make Stacey from Swansea.
She said to The Times that the series allowed her to turn down most other work to focus on her children, two dogs and four guinea pigs.
Previously Page revealed she wrote Lush! in a disused pub car park, outside a cricket club in the middle of the night and in a car outside her house.
The result was “like a therapy session“.
“Gavin and Stacey” aired its final episode on Christmas Day last year and took home the comedy award at the National Television Awards earlier this month.
The Christmas Day episode became one of the most watched scripted TV shows of the century.
According to official Barb ratings figures, after seven days of catch-up viewing the finale of the much loved comedy had been seen by 19.11 million people, which beat the last Gavin & Stacey special in 2019 which at the same stage had an audience of 17.92m, rising to 18.49m after a month.
In addition to her role in “Gavin and Stacey,” Page co-hosts the BBC podcast “Off The Telly” with Natalie Cassidy of “EastEnders,” and has appeared in films such as “From Hell” and “Love Actually.”
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for details of organisations who can offer support.
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