Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Pauline Quirke, best known for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous in the popular sitcom *Birds of a Feather*, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021. Her family has expressed their shock and disbelief at the diagnosis, although they remain reassured that she is still able to communicate, laugh, and display her usual cheerful personality. Despite Quirke’s private nature, her relatives have chosen to speak publicly about her condition to help raise awareness and funds for dementia.
Quirke, who is now 66 years old, has had a distinguished career spanning five decades. Aside from her iconic sitcom role, she earned a BAFTA nomination in 1997 for portraying a convicted murderer in the BBC drama *The Sculptress*. Her contributions to the entertainment industry and charitable work were recognized in 2022 when she was awarded an MBE. Earlier this year, her husband Steve Sheen announced her retirement, marking the end of her acting career as well as her leadership of the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts, which currently operates around 250 academies and serves over 15,000 young students across the UK.
Steve Sheen shared that the first signs something might be wrong appeared in late 2020, when Pauline struggled to read a script and told him the words weren’t making sense. Initially, the family thought her difficulties might be related to long COVID or the flu, but the subsequent diagnosis brought a wave of disbelief. Pauline’s son, Charlie Sheen, acknowledged how unexpected it was to learn that young onset dementia—defined as dementia occurring before age 65—could affect someone in her sixties, and sometimes even younger adults in their 40s and 50s.
Facing the gradual progression of Pauline’s condition has been a challenge for the family. Steve described the experience as slow-moving, making it difficult to grasp the seriousness at first. Now several years into the journey, the family hopes that sharing their story will increase dementia awareness and encourage support for research. Charlie is undertaking a 140-kilometre fundraising walk for Alzheimer’s Research UK to honour his mother’s legacy, visiting meaningful sites from her life, including homes, theatres, TV studios, and her children’s drama academy. Both Steve and Charlie expressed deep admiration and pride in Pauline’s strength and resilience, celebrating her talent, courage, and enduring love for those around her
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.