Pauline Quirke struggles to recognise family weeks after going public with dementia battle

Pauline Quirke's Birds of a Feather workfellow revealed the 65-year-old prima struggles to place her ain relatives, conscionable weeks aft her dementia diagnosis was made public

Pauline Quirke's dementia has precocious to the constituent wherever she nary longer recognises her ain family, a adjacent person has revealed.

The Birds of a Feather prima was diagnosed with dementia successful 2021 erstwhile she was conscionable 61, but her diagnosis was lone made nationalist past period by her TV shaper hubby Steve Sheen.

Now 65, the histrion - who has starred successful Emmerdale, Broadchurch and The Sculptress - is struggling to retrieve her ain relatives, arsenic the cruel illness takes its toll.

Maurice Gran, who alongside Laurence Marks, wrote the award-winning sitcom Birds of a Feather, told the Mirror that Pauline's co-star Lesley Joseph rang him soon earlier Steve announced Pauline's status from showbiz.

“Last month, Lesley phoned maine to inquire if Pauline’s husband, Steve Sheen, had been successful touch," helium recalled. "I told her no. ‘Well,’ said Lesley, ‘he’s going to spell nationalist astir Pauline to enactment a halt to each the speculation.’"

Rumours had been rife astir a rift betwixt Pauline - who played Sharon Theodopolopodous successful the BBC drama amusement - and her on-screen sister Linda Robson for years, with speculation lone increasing erstwhile Pauline refused to instrumentality portion successful immoderate much episodes aft the 2014-17 reboot.

“Since the diagnosis, her information has gathered pace," says Maurice. "She’s inactive lone 65 truthful your bosom goes retired to her. Initially, she felt she was opening to suffer her grip. Now, we recognize she struggles to place members of her ain family."

The alleged feud, helium says, was ever overblown, arsenic Linda and Pauline spell backmost a agelong mode – to superior schoolhouse successful northbound London. “They’re similar sisters,” helium went on. “But it’s nonsense. It’s nary much than sibling rivalry, similar successful immoderate family.”

By 2017, the rumour mill was gathering speed: 1 of them wasn’t talking to the other; Pauline was refusing to bash immoderate much episodes of Birds, and immoderate hint of her quality was stripped retired of the 2020 Christmas special.

The information was much deep-seated than the world knew. In 2021, Pauline was yet diagnosed with dementia, hence the dilatory withdrawal into her shell.

But successful some Laurence and Maurice's opinion, Pauline and Linda were calved to play Sharon and Tracey. They were inspired to constitute the characters aft spotting 2 over-dressed women - 1 successful golden lame and the different successful metallic - who “looked similar gangsters’ molls,” connected a nighttime out.

Says Maurice: “As soon arsenic I told Laurence this story, helium instantly said - ‘Linda and Pauline.’ We’d worked with them connected Harvey Moon and had been looking for different conveyance for them.

“By leafage 8 of the archetypal script, we couldn’t support up with what they were saying. Then, arsenic soon arsenic Lesley Joseph made her entranceway arsenic Dorien Green, she conscionable took over, a unit of nature.”

Massively fond of the main pistillate characters of the sitcom, for which helium and Laurence wrote 102 episodes for the BBC and a further 8 for ITV, it came arsenic a implicit assemblage stroke erstwhile they heard of Pauline's diagnosis.

“I’ve ever said that Pauline’s endowment made our words dependable better. It couldn’t beryllium sadder," added Maurice.

In January 2025, Pauline's status was announced successful a heartbreaking connection by her hubby Steve, who said: "It is with a dense bosom that I denote my woman Pauline's determination to measurement backmost from each nonrecreational and commercialized duties owed to her diagnosis of Dementia successful 2021."

He paid tribute to his wife's illustrious career, adding: "In drama, her BAFTA-nominated relation successful The Sculptress, was outstanding, arsenic was her relation arsenic the mysterious Susan Wright successful ITV's Broadchurch. Demonstrating her acting versatility, she besides starred oregon appeared successful much than 60 TV and movie productions, including Carrie's War, North and South, Casualty, Cold Blood, Thieving Headmistress, My Family, You, Me and the Apocalypse, and of people Emmerdale."

Adding that his woman present wants to walk clip with her family, helium concluded: "We kindly petition privateness and knowing for Pauline and our household during this hard period. For the clip being we volition not beryllium engaging successful interviews oregon making further statements, since Pauline conscionable wants to walk clip with her family, children and grandchildren. We are profoundly grateful for the enactment from her peers, the public, and the dedicated unit and Principals astatine PQA (Pauline Quirke Academy)."

Read More

Read More

Read More