Actress Pauline Quirke, 65, famous for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous on long-running sitcom Birds Of A Feather, has retired from acting following a dementia diagnosis. Steve Sheen, who has been married to the actress since 1996, has revealed that Pauline was first diagnosed with dementia in 2021, although the diagnosis was not made public at the time.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Sheen 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.”.
But how common is dementia, and what early warning signs should we look out for?. What is dementia?. “Nearly one million people are living with dementia in the UK – it’s a huge and growing health crisis,” stresses Hannah Gardner, consultant admiral nurse at Dementia UK. “One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime – either through caring for a loved one with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both.”.
One of the biggest misconceptions about dementia is that it’s often regarded as a condition that only affects people in old age. “But in fact, there are over 200 subtypes of dementia with a range of symptoms that can also occur in much younger people – this is known as young onset dementia, where symptoms appear before the age of 65,” clarifies Gardner.
