Pauline Quirke 'not okay' as dementia battle deepens, co-star Lesley Joseph reveals troubling update

Pauline Quirke, the beloved Pauline Quirke of Birds of a Feather, is reportedly not okay—a heartbreaking update shared by her childhood friend and co-star Lesley Joseph on October 29, 2025. The 65-year-old actress, diagnosed with dementia in 2021, has quietly withdrawn from public life since January 2025, when her husband, Steve Sheen, announced her retirement from all professional work. Now, as Joseph prepares for her first in-person visit in months, the reality of Quirke’s decline is becoming impossible to ignore.

From Screen Sisters to Lifelong Friends

Quirke and Joseph didn’t just share a TV set—they shared a lifetime. The two met as children in London, bonded over theater auditions, and later became household names as Dorien and Sharon in the BBC’s iconic sitcom Birds of a Feather. Their on-screen chemistry, fueled by genuine friendship, won them a British Comedy Award in 1990. For over 35 years, they’ve celebrated birthdays, supported each other through divorces, and even raised their children in neighboring suburbs. But since 2021, the woman Joseph calls "the funniest, brightest soul I’ve ever known" has been fading.

The Quiet Decline No One Saw Coming

Though Quirke was diagnosed in 2021, the family kept it private. Close friends, including Linda Robson, the third star of the show, noticed subtle changes—missed lines during rehearsals, forgetting names, confusion in crowded rooms. No one pushed. No one assumed it was just stress. "We thought she was tired," Robson told GB News in February. "It wasn’t until last summer that we realized it wasn’t going away." In January 2025, Sheen made the painful decision to go public. "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," he said. He praised her as "an inspiration"—not just for her 50-year acting career, but for founding the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA), which has trained thousands of young performers since its inception in 2003.

A Legacy That Outlives the Spotlight

PQA posted a quiet tribute on Instagram: "It has been wonderful to see how many lives Pauline has touched through her work with PQA and in her 50-year career in film and television." The academy continues to operate, now led by her longtime team, but Quirke’s absence is felt in every class. Former students have flooded social media with stories—how she’d show up unannounced to watch rehearsals, how she’d buy them coffee after a bad audition, how she never let anyone feel small.

Public Awareness Through Personal Pain

The Quirke family’s decision to speak out has already made waves. Alzheimer's Research UK, the London-based charity that Quirke’s family has pledged to support, saw a 400% spike in donations in the week after the announcement. Its CEO, Hilary Evans-Newton, called the move "courageous and transformative." "When someone as visible as Pauline steps forward, it shatters stigma," she said. "Dementia isn’t just memory loss. It’s the slow erasure of identity—and families need to know they’re not alone." The charity, founded in 1992, has funded over 400 research projects across the UK. But funding gaps remain. Quirke’s family has not specified how much they’ll donate, nor for how long. Still, their commitment signals a new chapter—not just for them, but for others facing similar battles.

What Comes Next?

Joseph plans to visit Quirke at her home in Surrey in early November. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since the spring. "I don’t know what I’ll say," Joseph admitted in a recent interview. "But I’ll sit with her. Hold her hand. Play her favorite songs. She loves ‘I Will Survive.’ I’ll sing it off-key, just like we used to on set." No medical updates have been released. No treatment details are public. Quirke’s condition is understood to be progressing, but whether it’s Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, or another form remains unconfirmed. What’s clear: the woman who brought laughter to millions is now in need of quiet, patient love.

A Nation Remembers

On October 30, 2025, a tribute video compiled by fans—clips of Quirke from Birds of a Feather, PQA performances, interviews, even her 2017 Christmas special—went viral with over 2.3 million views. Comments poured in: "She made me believe I could be an actress." "My daughter took her first stage class because of PQA." "I lost my mum to dementia last year. Thank you for speaking up." This isn’t just about a sitcom star. It’s about the quiet, relentless toll of dementia on families, friends, and communities. And for the first time in years, Britain is listening.