Pauline Quirke's family break silence and give heartbreaking dementia update
Pauline Quirke's husband Steve Sheen and their eldest child Charlie Quirke have given an emotional update on her dementia battle.
Pauline Quirke still recognises her family amid her four-year dementia battle.
The Birds of a Feather star's loved ones are unsure of the exact stage of the degenerative condition - which causes a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills - the 66-year-old actress is at, but "she's still funny, she's talking, she's happy".
Appearing on Monday (17.11.25) morning's episode of BBC Breakfast, Pauline's son Charlie Quirke said: "My mum knows exactly who we are. Every time she sees all of us, she smiles, laughs, says 'I love you', says 'hello'."
Pauline's husband Steve Sheen also spoke to the programme and admitted: "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.
"It's so gradual 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. This is why awareness is important. We didn't know how long it lasts or how long you have with it, or how bad it is or how quick it is."
Steve shared how they first noticed the signs of dementia in November 2020, when Pauline struggled to read a script.
He recalled: "Around November 2020, a script came in. She's reading it, and she phoned me on that day and said, 'The words are not going in.' That's where it started."
Steve and Charlie revealed their initial "disbelief" at her diagnosis in 2021.
Steve recalled: "We looked at each other and went, 'No, it can't be. It's long COVID, you've got the flu.’”
Charlie added: "Quite surprised that this was possible in a woman in her 60s, and it can happen to people in their 50s, people in their 40s.
"So it's something that you have to deal with and learn about."
Charlie pointed out that Pauline's condition "progresses and changes every day", and the family is "forever learning" about it.
Steve announced Pauline's dementia battle in January, and he has decided to break his silence now to "make people aware of the condition".
Since January, the Pauline - best known for playing Sharon Theodopolopodou in the sitcom Birds of a Feather - Steve, Charlie, and their daughter Emily, have been inundated with well-wishes from friends and her fans.
And they are all forever grateful for the support.
Charlie - who is doing a five-day, 140km trek to raise money for charity Alzheimer's Research UK next month, visiting locations that hold sentimental value - told BBC Breakfast hosts Jon Kay, 56, and 54 year old Sally Nugent: "The outpouring of love has been incredible. We have no words as a family to thank the love and support we've had.
"And that's going to continue through this, and we want to keep pushing to find a cure. And the only way we can do that is through research, and with my trek, that's what we're trying to do; the more money we can raise, the more funds there is to find a cure for this disease."
