Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page recounts kidnapping ordeal in South Africa during filming

Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page has revealed she was kidnapped in South Africa by a taxi driver who held her hostage in his car for about 90 minutes and threatened to strip her naked. The Welsh actress described the ordeal as the most dangerous situation she has ever faced and said she was incredibly lucky to escape.

The incident occurred during filming for the BBC costume drama To the Ends of the Earth, which aired in 2005. Page said she arrived in the country for filming and was told she could not go anywhere without a chaperone. Growing bored, she decided to visit a local shopping centre alone, hoping to pass the time.

After spending most of the day at the centre, she left to return to her hotel. She encountered a man who offered to drive her back in what she believed to be a taxi, and he then drove away with her. Page said the driver drove around for about an hour and a half, repeatedly telling her he would strip her naked and take photographs.

She eventually managed to return to the hotel and reported the incident to staff, who told her she had been extraordinarily lucky. The episode is one of several safety incidents Page has discussed in recent years, alongside experiences of harassment on set and other safety concerns she has faced in the industry.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who also worked on To the Ends of the Earth, disclosed that he was kidnapped at gunpoint during filming just weeks earlier, underscoring the dangers actors can face on location shoots. Page has described how she has often had to call out directors and colleagues on set regarding intimate scenes before intimacy coordinators became common practice. She also wrote about being groped by a TV host during filming in her forthcoming memoir, Lush: My Story — From Swansea To Stacey And Everything In Between, and noted that lawyers advised caution when naming individuals involved in misconduct. The memoir is due for release later this year.