Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson have been friends since they were children and despite some rough patches, they remain firm friends.
The pair met at the age of 10 and were inseparable growing up. They even joined drama school together in the 1970s as they dreamed of becoming stars. Pauline and Linda made their dream come true in the 1980s thanks to their show Birds of a Feather, which attracted in tens of millions of viewers with each episode.
It followed bickering sisters Sharon Theodopolopodous and Tracey Stubbs as they came to terms with their husbands being put in prison for armed robbery. They became one of the nation's most-loved double acts – yet behind the scenes tensions brewed. There were fierce rows between the two stars, going back to 1997.
Things came to a head between Pauline and Linda in 2019 over a Birds of a Feather Christmas special. Pauline declined the opportunity to reprise her role and her lines in the title song were removed as well as pictures of their characters Tracey and Sharon together. The actress had insisted she wanted to focus on her acting school, Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts.
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mirror.co.uk)Friends had feared Pauline and Linda's relationship was "irreparable" and thought the chances they would speak again were slim, according to Daily Mail. The pair have managed to save their friendship and settle their differences amid Pauline's tough three years. This week, it was revealed Pauline had been diagnosed with dementia in 2021 and would be stepping away from public life.
Her husband shared the sad news she has been diagnosed with dementia and is set to "step away from all commercial and professional duties" to spend time with her family. In a statement, he shared: "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."
Linda is said to have been unaware Pauline's diagnosis was going to be made public this week as she went on a Caribbean cruise. A former colleague of the pair has since shared details of their rocky relationship. They claimed: "Pauline and Linda had a really tempestuous relationship at times. There were rows in toilets and disagreements over contracts but things are now much better.
"Very few people know Pauline as well as Linda does, they have literally known one another for 55 years. Surely at a time like this having your best childhood friend around will be very comforting. They started out together and they share a very rare bond," they told the publication.
Linda and Pauline were last seen together in 2022 when they met up for lunch and shared a photo in attempt to dispel any rumours of a feud. The Loose Women star explained: "We had our photo taken together and I got my daughter Roberta to upload it to my Instagram, captioning it: 'A lovely lunch with my beautiful friends.' It was our way of saying, 'There you go, that’ll shut you up!'"
Just two years ago, Linda admitted that she had for a time felt 'envious' of Pauline after she began picking up more serious acting parts. Opening up during an episode of Loose Women, Linda confessed: "So I've never really been jealous of Pauline Quirke but I used to be envious of all the roles she got like dramas and everything.
"I used to think, 'Lovely, I'm really pleased for you but I would love to do some drama role as well'. But now I am doing drama roles, so I don't have to be envious anymore do I! But no jealousy can be a terrible thing really. I was delighted she was so successful but I just wanted a little bit of it as well and I wished I had got that."
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Dementia UK.
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