Pauline Quirke ‘struggling to identity her family members’ amid dementia battle as friend issues heartbreaking update

ACTRESS Pauline Quirke’s person has issued an update connected her dementia battle, saying she’s ‘struggling to individuality her household members.’

The actress, 65, starred successful Birds of a Feather, The Sculptress and Broadchurch during a glittering 50-year career.

She was besides awarded an MBE successful the precocious Queen’s last Birthday Honours successful 2022, receiving the grant from Prince William astatine Buckingham Palace.

But earlier this twelvemonth it was announced that Pauline is stepping down from her nonrecreational duties aft being diagnosed with dementia.

Her hubby Steve Sheen issued a connection which read: “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.

"Pauline has been an inspiration done her enactment successful the film and TV industry, her charity endeavours and arsenic the laminitis of the precise palmy Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA).

"Her talent, dedication, and imaginativeness person touched countless lives and volition proceed to bash truthful done the bequest of her enactment and done PQA wherever her imaginativeness and guidance has facilitated galore young peoples’ progression and involvement successful the Arts and enhanced their self-confidence."

Now, a adjacent person of the prima has revealed that she nary longer recognises her family.

Maurice Gran, who wrote Birds of a Feather alongside Laurence Marks, said that Pauline’s co-star Lesley Joseph had rung him earlier Pauline’s showbiz status was announced.

Maurice told the Mirror: “Last month, Lesley [Joseph] phoned maine to inquire if Pauline’s husband, Steve Sheen, had been successful touch.

“I told her no. ‘Well,’ said Lesley, ‘he’s going to spell nationalist astir Pauline to enactment a halt to each the speculation.’

“Since the diagnosis, her information has gathered pace.

“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."

Pauline starred arsenic Sharon Theodopolopodous successful Birds of a Feather, which ran connected the BBC and past ITV crossed astir 30 years.

She was besides nominated for BAFTAs for her roles successful The Sculptress and ITV's Broadchurch.

In total, Pauline appeared successful much than 60 TV and films, including Emmerdale and Casualty.

Across her career, she was nominated for Best TV Comedy Actress successful the British Comedy Awards, Best Newcomer successful the British Soap Awards and had aggregate nominations for Most Popular Actress and Most Popular Comedy Performer astatine the National Television Awards.

Since stepping down from acting, the histrion launched the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts.

The academy present has 250 sites with 15,000 students crossed the UK.