Actress Pauline Quirke, best known for her role in TV sitcom Birds of a Feather, has retired from acting due to a dementia diagnosis. Her husband Steve Sheen made the announcement, saying that the diagnosis was made in 2021 but was not made public at the time. Quirke has been an inspiration through her work in film and TV, her charity endeavours and as the founder of the successful Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts. She now wants to spend time with her family.
Quirke is celebrated for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous in the long-running sitcom Birds of a Feather, which ran from 1989 to 1998 on BBC One and then on ITV from 2014 to 2020. The series followed the lives of sisters Tracey and Sharon, played by Linda Robson and Quirke, who have to fend for themselves after their husbands are arrested for armed robbery. Quirke was awarded a British Comedy Award in 1990 for the role.
Mr Sheen praised his wife’s talent, dedication, and vision, particularly in relation to her drama academy, which has more than 15,000 students across the UK. It will continue to operate as normal in accordance with Pauline’s ideology. In 2022, Quirke was made an MBE for services to the entertainment industry, young people, and charities.
Quirke and Mr Sheen married in 1996 and have now pledged future support for Alzheimer’s Research UK to help raise funds for research and awareness. The charity’s chief executive Hilary Evans-Newton praised the family’s decision to make the diagnosis public, saying that it will not only provide more freedom for them but will also raise vital awareness of the condition. Mr Sheen also praised Scott Mitchell for his work with the charity following the dementia diagnosis of his late wife, Dame Barbara Windsor
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