Inside Pauline Quirke's rocky friendship with Linda Robson before dementia diagnosis
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Linda Robson became swept up in rumours of a bitter falling out with her Birds of a Feather co-star and lifelong friend Pauline Quirke before her dementia diagnosis. Pauline's husband Steve Sheen has revealed the actress has been diagnosed with dementia and is set to "step away from all commercial and professional duties" to spend time with her family. In a statement, he shared: "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.".
Feud rumours between the co-stars were sparked when Pauline was nowhere to be seen in the Birds of a Feather special back in 2020. It left fans convinced that she and Linda had ended their friendship of fifty years. The two co-stars entertained viewers for decades as sisters Tracey and Sharon, who were left to fend for themselves after their husbands were arrested for armed robbery.
Yet for the 2020 Christmas special, Pauline did not make an appearance. Her lines in the title song were removed and so were pictures of Tracey and Sharon together. It was claimed Linda and Pauline had become estranged and in 2022, Linda decided to address the rumours.
She told The Mirror: "People say Pauline and I have fallen out. Obviously I couldn't see her during lockdown but I've seen her since. She just doesn't want to act anymore. She's had enough - it's long hours. She's concentrating on her drama academies. She's very hands on, going to classes and all that.
