Joanna Page on Motherhood and Marriage

Actress Joanna Page has spoken candidly about the pervasive feeling of "mum guilt" that accompanies balancing a career with raising four children. The 49-year-old star, married to actor James Thornton for 23 years, described their demanding family life as akin to "passing ships in the night."

Page, who shares children Eva, 13, Kitt, 11, Noah, nine, and Boe, four, with Thornton, acknowledged the difficulty of being away from home for work. "You will always get that mum guilt because you want to be there with them," she told The Daily Mail. "I do want to be there with them all the time, doing absolutely everything, and I never believe that anything is going to be done as well as if I'm doing it myself, even though my husband is brilliant."

Despite acknowledging her husband's capable support, Page admitted that she sometimes struggles to relinquish control, stating, "But every now and then I do have to let him get on with it because I don't have the time to do this."

Page reflected on the nature of long-term marriage, noting that married life is "tough" and requires navigating "hard times." She shared that she and Thornton, who met in 1999, prioritize communication and connection, even amidst their busy schedules. "Doing our podcast Lush together, it's lovely because we'll be like passing ships in the night with the children. But then we get into the studio and we'll sit down and we'll just talk and talk and talk and it would be like when we went out on our 1st date."

She emphasized the importance of perseverance in relationships, advising, "Don't give up. You just kind of go, well we are a team and ultimately our love is stronger than anything else." Page added that while disagreements are inevitable, working through problems together strengthens the partnership. "We've grown together and we're still ultimately kind of the same people, even after having four children. We just love each other. We talk a lot and it's really important to make each other laugh."

Page also highlighted the value of disconnecting from technology to connect with each other, suggesting couples "look each other in the eye and listen to each other." While the couple rarely goes on traditional dates due to fatigue and time constraints, Thornton occasionally surprises her with "flowers and chocolates."

In a separate initiative, Page has partnered with Smart Energy GB to encourage people to utilize the extra hour gained when clocks go back. She has promoted using this time for household tasks and adopting smart meter technology. "Having our smart metre installed was just basically a phone call and then when they came round to install it, it took all of 2 seconds and it was up and running," she explained. Page noted that the smart meter has helped her feel more in control of household energy consumption, contributing to greater energy efficiency.