Joanna Page says she stayed silent after groping on set, highlighting ongoing harassment risk in the acting industry

Joanna Page, the Welsh actress best known for Gavin and Stacey, says she remained silent after being groped by a TV host during filming, fearing she would “make a fuss” and jeopardize future work. The 48-year-old star told BBC Wales that she had been warned beforehand that the presenter was “very handsy.” She did not name the person for legal reasons, but said the warning came from a producer who cautioned that the host could be problematic with women on set.

Page recalled the moment on set when the host crossed a boundary: a producer told her the presenter could be “very handsy with the women,” and added, “I think he’s going to like you, so just be prepared.” On set, she said, he groped her, and she brushed it off with a joke, saying, “god, I feel like I’m in Bristol Zoo,” while physically moving his hand away. She said she would not have dreamed of making a complaint, explaining that speaking up felt risky when jobs were scarce and women faced barriers to employment. “It’s all very well saying you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that, but you’re a woman, you’re in there and it’s so hard to get jobs anyway and you don’t want to make a fuss,” she said.

“I couldn’t have sat in a studio and gone ‘excuse me, can we please just stop this because he’s touching me up and completely groping me? I’m not happy with this.’” Page added, emphasizing that she was, in part, a people pleaser who did not want to draw attention to wrongdoing. “For starters, I’m a people pleaser.” The actress noted that avoiding conflict was a common survival strategy in the industry at the time.

In a later reflection, Page described another alarming moment when she was at the end of a play’s run. A well-known director reportedly entered her dressing room while she was barely clothed and began to hug and kiss her, refusing to leave her alone. She said she ended up wrapping herself in a curtain to shield herself from his overtly tactile advances, recalling, “I remember being in my knickers and wrapping the curtain around me and this director coming and hugging me and wanting to give me a kiss and not leaving me alone.” She described staying polite and “carrying on with the conversation” until he left, underscoring how politeness could function as a shield in a hostile environment.

In an interview with PA, Page said predators would always exist in the industry, especially when young, aspiring actors sought jobs. While she acknowledged progress—such as intimacy coordinators and reporting lines—the actress warned that harassment remains a risk because there is “too much opportunity for it to happen in this profession.” She noted that reporting harassment had not always been common, with many colleagues who tolerated abuse in silence rather than risking their careers.

“Predators exist,” she said, explaining that the dynamics of power and ambition in acting create persistent pressures. She stressed that changes such as safer working practices and clearer reporting channels have helped, but she fears the problem will not disappear entirely as long as the industry continues to attract hopeful talents who may feel compelled to endure inappropriate behavior to secure work.

Page also reflected on the personal stakes of speaking out. She said that if she had not landed the Gavin and Stacey role, she would have been “done with the whole (acting) thing,” highlighting how career dependence can deter survivors from reporting misconduct.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for details of organisations that can offer support.