Joanna Page has opened up about suffering heartbreak right at the time she was soaring to fame thanks to Gavin and Stacey.

The Welsh actress, 48, is known for playing Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning BBC sitcom - which ran from 2007 until 2009.

Joanna opened up about how challenging it was for herself and husband James Thornton to live long distance as they both worked as actors before having children.

She was down in London soaking up the Gavin and Stacey fame when James was cast as John Barton in Emmerdale in 2009, soon moving to Leeds for the role while Joanna remained in the capital.

Joanna revealed she was 'miserable' during this time as she would come home and just sit with her dog, feeling lonely.

She said she didn't feel like doing much and admitted to turning down showbiz work because she was 'really, really down'.

Joanna Page has opened up about suffering heartbreak right at the time she was soaring to fame thanks to Gavin and Stacey (Seen in June)

Joanna opened up about how challenging it was for herself and husband James Thornton to live long distance as they both worked as actors before having children (Seen together in 2010)

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary festival, The Mirror reported Joanna said: 'So to the outside, it looks like your life was so wonderful, and we were winning awards.

'And you know, it was really exciting and we were going to different things and different appearances and stuff, but inside my heart was just breaking.'

She added: ''I just go back home, and I sit with Daisy our dog, and I just, you know, I didn't go out.

'I didn't want to do anything for a while, it didn't really work as much as I could have, because I was just very miserable.'

However the couple recovered from the tough period and remain together now. They have since welcomed children Eva, 12, Kit, 10, Noah, eight, and Boe, three.

It comes days after Joanna revealed her plans to quit acting and her TV hosting roles and retrain as a sex therapist in a career shakeup.

Joanna has her own wildlife programme, fittingly titled Joanna Page's Wild Life, which airs on BBC Two and sees her become a rescue volunteer, tending to vulnerable animals.

She is also set to present a new show for the broadcaster, billed as Shift The Thrift, which will see contestants go head-to-head to uncover charity shop gems and sell them for a profit.

The Welsh actress, 48, is known for playing Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey (Pictured) - which ran from 2007 until 2009

She was down in London soaking up the Gavin and Stacey fame when James was cast as John Barton in Emmerdale (Pictured) in 2009, soon moving to Leeds for the role while Joanna remained in the capital

While the mum-of-four enjoys 'being herself' on TV, she has now admitted her eventual plans are to relocate to the countryside and train as a sex therapist.

Joanna explained: 'Presenting means I can just be myself, meet fascinating people and do things I wouldn't normally do.

'It fits much better with family life than going away for months at a time acting. I don't have to learn lines or put on costumes, I just turn up and dive in.'

She continued to Woman magazine: 'Eventually, I'd like to move to the countryside, get more animals and restart my greenhouse and vegetable patches.

'I'd also like to train as a sex therapist, it's something I've wanted to do for years. On top of that I want to get back into yoga and generally make more time for myself.'

Just days ago Joanna revealed she still experiences sexual bullying on set at 48.

Speaking to Daily Mail columnist Bryony Gordon, the Welsh actress said sexual misconduct toward women in the industry remains common and explained why it is so difficult, particularly for younger performers, to speak out.

Joanna pointed to 'huge power imbalances' that make calling out inappropriate behaviour nearly impossible, even today.

Despite describing herself as 'quite bsy', she recounted two incidents early in her career where the sexual bullying was so extreme it rendered her speechless.

Joanna made the claims while appearing on The Life of Bryony podcast to promote her new memoir, 'Lush! My Story - From Swansea to Stacey and Everything in Between'.

'I can always speak up for myself, but there have been moments where I've gone completely mute', Joanna said.

'There was a time working with one actor in the theatre, and oh my God, he was so full on and degrading in the language he used towards me.

'I told him that nothing was going to happen between us and the way he dealt with that was by being so derogatory.

'Then, on a different job - I had a scene with this fellow, just me and him. The sexual language he used... it was so awful, it wasn't banter. I remember calling the producers and saying: 'I think I have been sexually bullied.'

Joanna Page reveals secret heartbreak after Gavin and Stacey fame