BIRDS of a Feather star Lesley Joseph has spoken out following the news that her former co-star Pauline Quirke has been diagnosed with dementia.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, the actress, 79, was asked about Pauline's health battle but made it clear she would not discuss private matters.
She said: “What a wonderful actress she is and what joy she has given.
“Not just in Birds of A Feather but in The Sculptress where she was really scary, and in Broadchurch and Emmerdale, I take my hat off to Pauline. She's amazing.
“I won't talk about her at the moment with her illness because that's private.”
Pauline, 65, was revealed to be living with dementia last month, with reports stating that her family have been focusing on her care.
RAED MORE ON PAULINE
Reflecting on her own experience, Joseph shared that she had witnessed the effects of dementia first-hand.
She said her own mother had experienced joyful moments in her later years, despite the terrible illness.
She said: “I’ve lived through dementia with my mum, who lived to nearly 104.
“And in her nineties she was still playing tennis and she was so full of life as she got older, she was an amazing character.”
Pauline rose to fame as the much-loved Sharon Theodopolopodous in Birds of a Feather, starring alongside Joseph and Linda Robson.
While she stepped away from acting in recent years, her impact on British television remains significant.
Pauline's husband Steve Sheen revealed she would be stepping back from her 50-year career due to the syndrome.
Fans everywhere have expressed their support for the actress and her family, while close friend Linda opened up to The Sun on Pauline’s condition this week.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun at the TV Choice Awards, the Loose Women panellist said: “It’s very sad. We’ve been best friends since we were ten. I’ve known [about the diagnosis] for three years and we've managed to keep it quiet.
“She doesn’t know who anybody is.
“She doesn’t know who I am or who her kids are. Dementia is terrible - I’d rather get cancer, because at least then you’ve got a chance."
Linda continued: "My mum had it [dementia] as well. One in two people now get dementia, it's a lot of people.
"When my mum was in a hospice, we'd get there and she'd recognise us for a second and that was completely gone. It's the worst thing, it really really is."
