Former Birds of a Feather star, Linda Robson, has shared an emotional moment as her friend and co-star, Pauline Quirke, battles dementia. Pauline, 65, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021.
Her husband, Steve Sheen, made an announcement in January this year sharing that she would be stopping acting due to the illness. At the time, he said: "It is with a heavy heart that I announce my wife Pauline's decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties due to her diagnosis of Dementia in 2021." Now Linda, 67, has shared an update on her friend's condition.
Speaking on the Loose Women Podcast, in collaboration with Mecca Bingo, Linda told her co-star, Jane Moore, that she recently had a call from Pauline's son, Charlie. She admitted that the conversation left her feeling quite emotional.
Linda shared: "Charlie rang me and said she's doing really really well at the moment. Sometimes she has down days, but at the moment she's quite up about everything. They said they got really excited when she said 'where's my mate Linda Robson?' I got quite emotional when he told me."
She continued: "[We've known each other] since we were 10 years old. She's always been an amazing actress and my best friend. Amazing things happened to us. When Birds Of A Feather came out we started getting invited to everything. We got VIP tickets for Stringfellas and all these different places, we couldn't believe our luck."
Linda has been friends with Pauline for 56 years, with the duo first meeting as children before growing up together. Their journey to stardom kickstarted together when they landed a role on the BBC sitcom, Birds of a Feather.
They have remained close friends throughout their careers, however, Linda previously opened up on how Pauline no longer recognises her, due to dementia.
She explained: "It [the diagnosis] was three years ago so I’ve lived with it for three years as the family have as well. She was so bright and so clever. It can happen to anybody.
"I have noticed a real difference with her; she doesn’t remember her grandchildren so she’s not going to remember who I am even though we’ve been friends 56 years. It really is sad."
