Linda Robson has opened up about her enduring friendship with Pauline Quirke as her former Birds Of A Feather co-star continues to live with dementia. The two actresses, who first met as ten-year-olds in primary school, built decades-long careers together on both stage and screen before Pauline's diagnosis in 2021 forced her retirement from acting.
A Friendship Spanning Six Decades
Linda, 67, confirmed their bond remains as strong as ever despite the health challenges facing Pauline, now 64. The progression of Pauline's condition meant she had to step away from pantomime and television work, leaving Linda to pursue acting roles alone for the first time in their professional lives.
In a recent heartwarming visit, Linda travelled to Pauline's family home where she continues to receive daily support from her husband Steve and their children. Speaking to The Mirror, Linda described being warmly welcomed by relatives before everyone headed to a local pub for a private lunch together.
Emotional Reunion and Recognition
'I love her so much,' Linda expressed emotionally, noting that the pair have been inseparable friends for 57 remarkable years. Reflecting on their recent time together, she added: 'We're all still in touch and we were all still friends and it's been really nice.'
Despite living with dementia, Pauline still recognised Linda during their emotional reunion and remained in good spirits throughout their visit. Linda shared that they enjoyed sharing jokes and reminiscing about their years working together on the beloved sitcom Birds Of A Feather.
'She was giggling and happy,' Linda recalled. 'She's being really well looked after and she did recognise me, which I was really pleased with as well. She's doing well.'
Family Support and Charity Efforts
Pauline's son Charlie, who appeared alongside his mother in the ITV reboot of their sitcom as Travis Stubbs, has taken on a central role in her care. Charlie is preparing for a five-day charity 140km trek this month to raise crucial funds for Alzheimer's Research UK.
Linda has expressed hopes to join part of the fundraising walk if her schedule permits, showing continued support for her friend's family. The charity effort comes after it was revealed back in January that Pauline had been living with dementia for approximately four years.
Pauline's husband Steve and son Charlie previously appeared on BBC Breakfast, where they shared how they were initially in 'disbelief' about her diagnosis. Steve reflected on the moment they first realised something was wrong in November 2020, when Pauline found herself unable to read a script properly.
'She started reading it and she phoned me on that day and said, the words are not going in. That's where it started,' Steve revealed. He also recalled their reaction to the doctor's diagnosis: 'We looked at each other and went, "Can't be, it's long Covid. Got the flu".'
Charlie explained that the family remains uncertain about the exact stage of her condition, though they take comfort that Pauline still recognises all her family members. 'My mum knows exactly who we are. Every time she sees all of us, she smiles, laughs, says "I love you", says "hello".'
Steve added: 'Unfortunately, we are not in the state where we can do much about it. Just take every day and try and take the best moment out of that day you can.' He noted that the condition progresses so gradually that 'for the first year, two years, you're thinking, "Ah, she's alright". Now, we're three or four years in, it's a little bit different.'
Charlie concluded that her illness 'progresses and changes every day' and the family are 'forever learning' how to support her through this challenging journey.
