Actress Joanna Page has revealed she made an ‘impulsive’ decision to have her fallopian tubes snipped as she is ‘too old’ to have a fifth child.
The 46-year-old Gavin and Stacey star underwent the procedure after having her fourth child, aged 44.
She also revealed she has slept separately from her husband, former Emmerdale actor James Thornton, for 10 years, with the couple instead occupying bedrooms with their children Eva, 10, Kit, seven, Noah, six, and Boe, 16 months.
Speaking to Woman & Home she said she would ‘love a fifth baby’ but doesn’t feel it would be fair on her current brood.
‘When I was having my third, my obstetrician asked me about contraception plans and I said, “I’m having a baby, I’ll probably not have sex forever,”‘ she told the publication.
Honest: Actress Joanna Page has revealed she made an ‘impulsive’ decision to have her fallopian tubes snipped as she is ‘too old’ to have a fifth child
Opening up: Joanna said she would ‘love a fifth baby’ but doesn’t feel it would be fair on her current brood
Partner: The Gavin and Stacey star also revealed she and husband James Thornton, 47, have slept in separate bedrooms for a decade because they sleep in with their children
She continued: ‘After Boe, the same obstetrician asked again and I’m quite impulsive so I said, “OK, you can cut my tubes.” Then, last month, as soon as I had my first period, I thought, “What a waste! I want another baby. I want another small one”.’
Tubal ligation involves the fallopian tubes being cut, tied or blocked to permanently prevent pregnancy.
The Welsh actress, who said her husband was not a fan of her suggestion to get the surgery reversed, added: ‘Deep down, I know that should be it. I’m too old now and it’s not fair on the others, but it’s the finality.’
Miss Page and Thornton, 47, who met on the set of 1999 TV drama David Copperfield before tying the knot in 2003, have slept in separate bedrooms for a decade.
‘Intimacy is important, but James and I don’t get any time together,’ she said. ‘For 10 years, we’ve slept with the children. Noah is the only one that now sleeps in his own bed.
‘Eva and Kit are in with James and I’ve been in the spare room with Boe for the past year.’
She continued: ‘James has been so understanding. He said, “It’s absolutely fine. This is a moment we’re going through where everything is about the kids”.’
Miss Page, who said she would like to become a yoga teacher or a sex therapist, will return to acting after a decade, starring in Russell T Davies’ upcoming Men Up, about the first Viagra trials.
Love: Joanna and husband James (pictured in 2010) have been married since 2003 and met on the set of David Copperfield in 1999
Fourth child: Joanna and James welcomed their fourth child Boe to their brood in 2021- their last baby
Mum duties: The actress ‘refused all work for a good six to eight years to be with the babies,’ as that ‘completely felt like the right thing’. She added: ‘I just don’t think you can have it all’
Making a comeback: But reading from a book during a routine eye test reignited her passion for performing
Read all about it: The June issue of Woman&Home is on sale Thursday
She ‘refused all work for a good six to eight years to be with the babies,’ as that ‘completely felt like the right thing’. She added: ‘I just don’t think you can have it all.’
But reading from a book during a routine eye test reignited her passion for performing.
‘I’d thought, “I don’t want to do any acting, I don’t want to be taken away from the family,” but when the optician asked me to read the beginning of a chapter from a book, I went off on one,’ she said.
‘I found myself going, “It was a dark night, he looked through the window and he saw her”. I didn’t need to commit to it that much, but I really enjoyed it. I thought, “Jesus, I think I need to go and do a bit of acting”.’
The June issue of Woman&Home is on sale Thursday.
Passion: ‘When the optician asked me to read the beginning of a chapter from a book, I went off on one,’ she said
