Actress Lesley Joseph has provided an update on her colleague in Birds of a Feather, Pauline Quirke, who was diagnosed with dementia four years ago. Pauline, aged 66, recently announced her retirement from acting after battling the condition for three years. Lesley and Pauline starred together in the show from 1989 to 1998, with Pauline winning a British Comedy Award in 1990 for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous.

During the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards, Lesley shared her concerns about Pauline’s health and expressed her intention to visit her soon. Lesley, aged 80, mentioned in an interview with Bella magazine that Pauline’s health has deteriorated since her dementia diagnosis. Despite her busy schedule, Lesley plans to see Pauline in the coming week.

Pauline’s husband, Steve Sheen, confirmed her dementia diagnosis and retirement from professional duties. He praised Pauline’s contributions to the entertainment industry, charity work, and the success of the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA). Steve announced that Pauline decided to step back from her responsibilities due to her dementia diagnosis in 2021.

Before retiring, Pauline was honored with an MBE for her significant contributions to entertainment, youth, and charitable causes. The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts, founded by Pauline and Steve in 2007, has expanded to include 250 academies and has nurtured over 15,000 students across the UK. The academy expressed admiration for Pauline’s impact on young people through performing arts.

Following Pauline’s retirement, Steve pledged their ongoing support to Alzheimer’s Research UK. The charity’s chief executive, Hilary Evans-Newton, commended the family for their decision to raise awareness about dementia publicly. She expressed gratitude for Pauline and Steve’s commitment to supporting the charity’s work in the future. The organization looks forward to collaborating with them to increase awareness of dementia and raise funds for research.