Pauline Quirke has been living with dementia for four years after learning of her diagnosis aged 61.
Her husband Steve Sheen announced in a statement on Monday that the the Birds Of A Feather star, 65, is set to ‘step away from all commercial and professional duties’.
According to Steve, the award-winning actress succumbed to the degenerative disease in 2021.
In a statement revealing Pauline’s diagnosis for the first time, Steve 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.
‘Pauline has been an inspiration through her work in the film and TV industry, her charity endeavours and as the founder of the very successful Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA).
‘Her talent, dedication, and vision have touched countless lives and will continue to do so through the legacy of her work and through PQA where her vision and guidance has facilitated many young peoples’ progression and interest in the Arts and enhanced their self-confidence.’
Pauline Quirke, 65, has been living with dementia for four years after learning of her diagnosis aged 61 in 2021
Her husband Steve Sheen announced in a statement on Monday that the the Birds Of A Feather star is set to ‘step away from all commercial and professional duties’
As well as her role in the comedy Birds Of A Feather, Pauline also had roles in Emmerdale, Broadchurch and a BAFTA-nominated performance in The Sculptress.
He added: ‘Pauline is perhaps best known as Sharon Theodopolopodous from Birds of a Feather, the hilarious sitcom that ran for nearly 30 years.
‘In drama, her BAFTA-nominated role in The Sculptress, was outstanding, as was her role as the mysterious Susan Wright in ITV’s Broadchurch.
‘Demonstrating her acting versatility, she also starred or appeared in more than 60 TV and film productions, including Carrie’s War, North and South, Casualty, Cold Blood, Thieving Headmistress, My Family, You, Me and the Apocalypse, and of course Emmerdale.
‘During her epic 50 year career, Pauline has been nominated for many awards, including Best TV Comedy Actress in the British Comedy Awards, Best Newcomer in the British Soap Awards and has received multiple nominations for Most Popular Actress and Most Popular Comedy Performer in the National Television Awards.
‘In 2022, Pauline was awarded an MBE in the late Queen’s final Birthday Honours. It was a heartfelt recognition of her incredible work with young people, her contributions to entertainment, and her dedication to charitable causes.
‘Her acting career has now come to a close, but Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA), with its network of approximately 250 academies and over 15,000 students across the UK, remains robust and will continue to operate as normal in accordance with Pauline’s ideology.
‘Our experienced senior leadership team will maintain the Academies’ success and growth, building on the foundations, ethos and philosophy that Pauline has inspired from the beginning in 2007.
The actress, best known for her role in the ITV sitcom Birds Of A Feather, was first diagnosed with the disease in 2021
Pauline married her husband Steve in 1996, and they share son Charlie, 30, while the actress also has daughter Emily, 40, from a previous relationship (pictured in 2010)
Her last public appearance came back in February 2023 when she was awarded an MBE by Prince William, for services to young people, entertainment and charity
Hilary Evans-Newton, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said in a statement on Tuesday: ‘We are saddened to hear of Pauline’s diagnosis and send our best wishes to her’
Pauline famously starred opposite her childhood friend Linda Robson in the Nineties sitcom Birds Of A Feather
‘We kindly request pri
vacy and understanding for Pauline and our family during this difficult period.
‘For the time being we will not be engaging in interviews or making further statements, since Pauline just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchildren.
‘We are deeply grateful for the support from her peers, the public, and the dedicated staff and Principals at PQA.’
Pauline married her husband Steve in 1996, and they share son Charlie, 30, who has followed in his mother’s acting footsteps, and even starred on Birds Of A Feather’s revival in 2019.
The star also has daughter Emily, 40, from a previous relationship.
Her last public appearance came back in February 2023 when she was awarded an MBE by Prince William, for services to young people, entertainment and charity.
Hilary Evans-Newton, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said in a statement on Tuesday: ‘We are saddened to hear of Pauline’s diagnosis and send our best wishes to her, Steve and the wider family.
‘The family should be praised for making the brave decision to make her diagnosis public, which will not only provide more freedom for them, but also raise such vital awareness of the condition.
In 2022 it had been reported that Pauline was locked in a feud with her former co-star Linda Robson, but she later hit back at the claims
In May 2022 Linda shut down any rumours of a rift with longtime pal Pauline as her and Lesley enjoyed a lunch with her at The Delaunay in Covent Garden
‘We’re so grateful that Pauline and Steve have pledged to support our work when the time is right. We look forward to working with them to raise further awareness of dementia and funds for research.’
The TV sitcom star is best known for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous on the hit comedy Birds of A Feather.
Pauline starred on the show alongside Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph from 1988 to 1999, and in a revival from 2014-2017.
In the sitcom, Sharon and Tracey, played by Pauline and Linda, are sisters who are forced to move in together following the arrest of their respective spouses for armed robbery.
They form a close bond with their next-door neighbour, Dorien, played by Lesley, who has a liking for younger men.
In 2022 it had been reported that Pauline was locked in a feud with her former co-star Linda, but she later hit back at the claims.
In response to the speculation, Linda explained: ‘It’s a load of old s*** that we had a fallout. We have not fallen out and we have never fallen out. I have been best friends with her since we were ten years of age. We never fell out.’
Linda and Pauline reunited with their former Birds of a Feather co-star Lesley in 2022 to discuss the possibility of a comeback.
Linda told the Daily Mirror newspaper at the time: ‘I was out for lunch with Pauline last Friday in London, The Delaunay, and it was discussed.’
The close friends have been friends for more than 50 years and starred together in 12 series and two Christmas specials of Birds of a Feather.
However, Pauline was absent from the 2020 Birds of a Feather special – sparking the rumours of a fallout.
But Linda previously confirmed it was Pauline’s ‘choice’ not to appear in the one-off episode in 2021 and that the cast had ‘to respect’ her decision.
The Loose Women panellist told the Express: ‘Obviously people miss Pauline, but we have to respect that it was her choice not to do it anymore.
‘She wants to concentrate on her academy. When they (the producers) asked us, we were like, ‘Yeah we would still like to do it. We’re not ready to finish.’
Pauline famously starred in Emmerdale between 2010-2012 in which she played Hazel Rhodes, the mother of Aaron Livesy’s then boyfriend Jackson Walsh
Her character was involved in a controversial assisted suicide storyline after she and Aaron helped Jackson to die after he was left paralysed from the neck down
She also starred as Susan Wright in the ITV drama Broadchurch in 2013, alongside David Tennant and Olivia Colman
‘I think it worked really well as they did a good script, and we did the best we could with it.’
Pauline famously starred in Emmerdale between 2010-2012 in which she played Hazel Rhodes, the mother of Aaron Livesy’s then boyfriend Jackson Walsh.
Her character was involved in a controversial assisted suicide storyline after she and Aaron helped Jackson to die after he was left paralysed from the neck down following a collision with a train.
Despite their initial reluctance, both Aaron (Danny Miller) and Hazel gave in to Jackson’s (Marc Silcox) request to end his life as he feared spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
But while Hazel struggled w
ith feeding her son a lethal cocktail of drugs, Aaron takes on the job, with Hazel left sobbing with her son’s eventual death.
Aaron was later cleared of euthanasia, with Hazel going on to depart the village for a fresh start in January 2012 after Pauline quit the role in May 2011.
Despite Emmerdale’s plan to ‘drive constructive debate over this sensitive subject’, the hard-hitting storyline was widely criticised by viewers and groups including the spinal cord injury support organisation Aspire, who accused the ITV soap of ‘sensational misrepresentation’.
Emmerdale was later investigated by Ofcom amid several complained, but they were later dismissed, with a spokesperson for the regulator noting they ‘found no graphic details were shown on screen’.
However, the storyline was also praised for raising awareness, with Pauline and Danny both going on to be nominated for awards in the wake of their portrayals as the grieving mother and boyfriend.
She also starred as Susan Wright in the ITV drama Broadchurch in 2013, alongside David Tennant and Olivia Colman, which focused on the residents of a sleep seaside town after schoolboy Danny Latimer is found dead on the beach.
Living alone in a caravan park, Pauline’s character Susan drew suspicion from local police, and despite suspicion, it was soon revealed she was innocent.
In 2009, Pauline underwent a hip replacement after struggling with leg pain, and admitted at the time that learning she would undergo the procedure made her burst into tears.
She said at the time: ‘I play Det. Supt. Mary Jane Croft and was in every scene. But it became increasingly difficult for me to get in and out of my police car, walk up and down the stairs, or rush into one of the various detectives’ offices.
The pain was so bad, I was hobbling about. It was ridiculous – and hardly gave off the right impression for a senior detective!
After a trip to her GP, Pauline was diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
‘Discovering this was a shock, but more shocking was the news that I had to have a hip replacement. I just burst into tears.’
