Linda Robson has shared an emotional update on her best friend and former Birds of a Feather co-star Pauline Quirke, who stepped back from public life in 2021 after being diagnosed with dementia.

Speaking on Loose Women: The Podcast, Linda revealed that Pauline’s son Charlie had given her some hopeful news. “Charlie rang me and just said she is doing really, really well at the moment. Sometimes she has down days but at the moment she is quite up about everything,” Linda explained. What touched her most was when Pauline suddenly asked: “Where’s my mate Linda Robson?” Linda admitted: “I got quite emotional when he told me that.”

Pauline’s husband Steve Sheen confirmed earlier this year that she was retiring from acting. Friends had revealed she was beginning to struggle recognising members of her own family, a devastating development given she is only 65. Birds of a Feather co-writer Maurice Gran previously described her condition as “gathering pace,” saying that at first she knew she was “losing her grip,” but now even identifying loved ones has become difficult.

Despite the heartbreaking reality, Linda, 67, made clear how much Pauline still means to her. She called her “an amazing actress” and “my best friend,” recalling their glory days when Birds of a Feather made them household names alongside Lesley Joseph. “When the show first came out, we started getting invited to everything. We got given VIP tickets to Stringfellows and all sorts – we couldn’t believe our luck.”

The sitcom originally ran from 1989 to 1998 and later returned for festive specials, cementing the trio’s place in British television history.