Pauline Quirke secretly lived in pain when filming for one of her BBC dramas.
The Birds of a Feather star, 65, suffered for more than a year before she decided the pain was too much to bear any longer, and sought help from her GP. Pauline’s ordeal is now just one in a list of health problems for the star, who was sadly diagnosed with dementia in 2021.
Her husband, Steve Sheen, announced on Tuesday that Pauline, who played Sharon Theodopolopodous in the sitcom’s original hit series and revival between 2014 and 2017, has had to step away from acting as her condition has worsened. Steve said in a statement: “‘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.”
It was in 2008 when Pauline, who was filming BBC’s afternoon drama series Missing, began to feel “raging pain” in her leg. She was playing Det. Supt. Mary Jane Croft – an active role which saw her in and our of her police car and rush around to various offices.
The actor, who also starred in Broadchurch in 2013, started to hobble, and in worrying how it would affect her portrayal of a senior detective, she visited her GP. She had previously only had various aches down her right side but just ignored them, taking paracetamol instead.
It came to a head when she suffered a serious fall after visiting one of her drama schools – The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts. “I was talking to one of the children’s mothers, and as I turned away I slipped and fell badly. A couple of weeks later, I developed a terrible pain in my right knee, which was so bad it would keep me awake at night,” she told MailOnline.
Pauline thought the pain would naturally subside, but instead, she found herself asking her director if she could move about less in her scenes. “I knew I had to see a doctor,” she revealed.
She was referred to a knee specialist, who made her have X-rays on her hip and knee. Her hip, with no cartilage between the socket and the cup, was found to be the cause of her pain. Pauline was referred to a specialist and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, which is when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint.
Pauline admitted she was in “shock” over the diagnosis, but what became more shocking was the news that she needed a hip replacement, seeing her burst into tears. A year later, she had the operation and was finally pain-free.
It was a long road to recovery for the star, who had to rely on crutches and practice movement exercises. At 17 stone, it was recommended for Pauline to lose some weight to help the strain on her joints.
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“I haven’t bothered before, but I know it will be better for the joint if I do, so I shall try,” she added. “But apart from being fat, I’m in pretty good condition.” Due to her health issues, the Emmerdale star went on to lose a drastic 9 stone in 2011 with the LighterLife programme – which saw her cut out sugar, stop drinking and introduce light exercise into her daily routine.
She struggled to maintain her weight, but in 2017, Linda vowed to change her lifestyle again after doctors warned her that her drinking habits, which saw her drink almost a bottle of wine a night, could put her at high risk of diabetes. She told The Sun: “I’ve stopped weighing myself but I think I’ve lost about two and a half stone. I’ve gone from a 16 to 18 dress size down to a 12 to 14.”
Pauline married husband Steve in 1996, and the couple share son Charlie, 30, who is also an actor, and even starred in the Birds Of A Feather trivial in 2019. The soap actress also has daughter Emily, 40, from a previous relationship.
In the statement, as seen by Mail Online, Steve commended her stellar acting career as he he explained her decision to step away from the screen. He continued: “Pauline has been an inspiration through her work in the film and TV industry, her charity endeavours and as the founder of the very successful Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA).
“Her talent, dedication, and vision have touched countless lives and will continue to do so through the legacy of her work and through PQA where her vision and guidance has facilitated many young peoples’ progression and interest in the Arts and enhanced their self-confidence. Pauline is perhaps best known as Sharon Theodopolopodous from Birds of a Feather, the hilarious sitcom that ran for nearly 30 years.
“In drama, her BAFTA-nominated role in The Sculptress, was outstanding, as was her role as the mysterious Susan Wright in ITV’s Broadchurch. Demonstrating her acting versatility, she also starred or appeared in more than 60 TV and film productions, including Carrie’s War, North and South, Casualty, Cold Blood, Thieving Headmistress, My Family, You, Me and the Apocalypse, and of course Emmerdale.
“During her epic 50 year career, Pauline has been nominated for many awards, including Best TV Comedy Actress in the British Comedy Awards, Best Newcomer in the British Soap Awards and has received multiple nominations for Most Popular Actress and Most Popular Comedy Performer in the National Television Awards.
“In 2022, Pauline was awarded an MBE in the late Queen’s final Birthday Honours. It was a heartfelt recognition of her incredible work with young people, her contributions to entertainment, and her dedication to charitable causes.
“Her acting career has now come to a close, but Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA), with its network of approximately 250 academies and over 15,000 students across the UK, remains robust and will continue to operate as normal in accordance with Pauline’s ideology.
“Our experienced senior leadership team will maintain the Academies’ success and growth, building on the foundations, ethos and philosophy that Pauline has inspired from the beginning in 2007.
“We kindly request privacy and understanding for Pauline and our family during this difficult period. For the time being we will not be engaging in interviews or making further statements, since Pauline just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchildren. We are deeply grateful for the support from her peers, the public, and the dedicated staff and Principals at PQA.”
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