Jo Joyner is back on our screens in Channel 5's new thriller, The Wives, which follows three sisters-in-law on a mission to solve a family mystery on a holiday that will change their lives forever.
The actress is no stranger to gripping dramas, having starred in various major shows over the past 20 years, including North & South, Ordinary Lies, and more recently, Stay Close. But how much do you know about her life off-screen? Find out more about her family and famous husband here…
Jo's home life with famous husband
Jo's husband is fellow actor and drama teacher Neil Madden. The actress was 25 when she began dating her future husband, who she went on to marry five years later in 2007.
Neil has popped up in various TV shows over the years, including The Bill, Lewis, Holby City and Silent Witness.
© Can Nguyen/ShutterstockJo, 47, sometimes shares glimpses into her married life on social media and marked her other half's birthday with a sweet tribute back in March 2019. Alongside a collection of sweet photos showing Neil with their two children, the former EastEnders star penned in the caption: "Happy Birthday to this incredible man, father, husband - have a great day, miss you."
© InstagramJo and Neil's children
Jo and Neil live near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire with their two children, twins Freddie and Edie, who were born via IVF treatment in 2009.
Jo has been very open about the pregnancy journey over the years and explained how she and Neil turned to IVF after trying for a baby for three years.
© Instagram"We tried everything – acupuncture, fertility diets, reflexology – but nothing worked," she told The Mirror. "We had tests and knew there was a slim chance anything [natural] would work and that was when we made the decision to try IVF.
"The twins were very longed for – we were incredibly lucky because we had them with our first round of IVF."
Sharing an insight into their family life back in 2018, Jo admitted that she finds it hard being away from her children for work. "It's been tough being away from the kids so much. I've been doing virtual mothering, where I video call them every night," she told The Mirror.
"But they're a well-oiled machine and get on fine without me, with my parents living nearby. Plus, I'm sure the secret to a happy marriage is working away. Genuinely, I think it would be really hard to have a normal 9-5 life and still have stuff to talk about at the weekends. Both having your own lives is great."
On whether her children will follow in their parents' footsteps, Jo told GoodtoKnow in 2020: "I don’t think so. Edie is the only 10-year-old girl I know who genuinely would like a drill for Christmas, so whatever she goes into will be some kind of design and creating area. Fred loves maths and business, but is 100% about football, and that is his life. So hopefully they might have something a bit more stable than acting!"
