Birds of a Feather star Pauline Quirke has been diagnosed with dementia, her husband Steve Sheen announced. The 65-year-old actress, known for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous in the original series and its revival from 2014 to 2017, will "step away from all commercial and professional duties" to spend time with her family.
Pauline, who also appeared in Emmerdale, Broadchurch and The Sculptress, won the Best TV Comedy Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards in 1990 for her role in Birds of a Feather, originally aired on BBC One.
She, along with Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, reprised their roles when the sitcom returned on ITV in 2014. However, Pauline will now take a break from acting across TV, film and stage.
In a statement, Steve 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," reports the Mirror.