Linda Robson has recalled the moment she knew something “wasn’t right” with her friend Pauline Quirke, before learning of her Dementia diagnosis.
Pauline, 65, was diagnosed with the disease in 2021, but it wasn’t until January this year that her husband Steve Sheen made the news public.
Speaking out about her Bird of a Feather’s co-star’s illness, Linda said she began to worry about her when she wasn’t returning her calls.
The 66-year-old shared: “I hadn’t spoken to her for a little while and I kept wondering why she hadn’t returned my calls.
“Eventually, Steve phoned me back. Lesley [Joseph] and I went for lunch with her and that’s when we realised something wasn’t right with her, and that was three years ago.”
After finding out the devastating news, Linda swore to secrecy and has been in checking in with Pauline and her family ever since.
“I’ve known for the last three years that she wasn’t well,” the Loose Women panellist added to Bella Magazine.
“I managed to keep it a secret. It was very important that I did, because it was up to her family when it was time for them to let everyone know. Steve was taking her away a lot, just to get her out of the country.”
In January, Steve released a statement to announce Pauline’s diagnosis and update fans about her career.
He said due to her illness, she had taken a step back from all of her professional and commercial duties, however her UK-wide performing arts academy will continue to run, in accordance with her ideology.
In a sad update, Linda said Pauline no longer speaks much while on FaceTime, and doesn’t remember who she is.
The pair have been friends for over 50 years, co-starring alongside each other in Birds of a Feather with Lesley.
While she has ruled out anymore filming for the sitcom without Pauline, she has plans to celebrate her co-star in other ways.
As part of Pauline’s 50-year career, she starred in over 60 television and film productions including; The Sculptress, Broadchurch, Carrie’s War, North and South, Casualty, as well as ITV soap Emmerdale.
There are different types of dementia and it can affect people in various ways. However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before a diagnosis of dementia, according to the NHS.
Common early symptoms of dementia
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Memory loss
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Difficulty concentrating
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Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks
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Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
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Being confused about a time and place
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Mood changes
The NHS website explains: “These symptoms are often mild and may get worse only very gradually.
“It’s often termed ‘mild cognitive impairment’ (MCI) as the symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.”
The health system also states that dementia is not a natural part of ageing, and recommend seeing a GP sooner rather than later if you’re worried about memory problems or other symptoms.