In a revelation that’s tugged at heartstrings across Britain, Loose Women star Linda Robson has shared a profoundly moving account of her best friend Pauline Quirke’s battle with dementia—one that underscores the unbreakable bond of decades-long friendship amid unimaginable loss. On October 25, 2025, Robson, 66, broke down in an emotional Instagram post, recounting a hospital visit prompted by a frantic call from Quirke’s husband, Steve Pudney. “Her time is running out,” he told her, urging Linda to come immediately. Without hesitation, Robson jumped into her car and raced to the facility, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and fierce love for the woman who’s been her confidante since their Birds of a Feather days in 1989.
Quirke, 75, the comedy legend known for her role as Sharon in the iconic sitcom and as a Loose Women panelist from 2007 to 2021, has been privately fighting dementia for years. Diagnosed in 2018, the condition progressed to its final stages, robbing her of speech and mobility. Pudney, her husband of 33 years, has been her steadfast guardian, but the call to Linda was a desperate plea for the comfort only a lifelong friend could provide. “I didn’t think twice,” Robson wrote, her words raw with grief. “Pauline’s my sister in all but blood. I had to be there.”
The moment that shattered Robson arrived upon her arrival. Amid the haze of her illness, Quirke suddenly surfaced with a spark of clarity—a fleeting gift from a mind besieged by fog. “Where’s my friend Linda Robson?” she whispered, her voice frail but unmistakable. The question, simple yet seismic, pierced the room like a lifeline. Robson, who arrived breathless and tear-streaked, collapsed at her bedside, clutching Quirke’s hand. “I’m here, Paulie—always,” she sobbed, the words dissolving into a flood of memories: shared laughs on set, midnight heart-to-hearts, and the unbreakable pact forged in the chaos of fame.
The duo’s friendship, spanning over 40 years, is the stuff of showbiz legend. From their breakout in Birds of a Feather—where Quirke’s Sharon and Robson’s Tracey became national treasures—to their Loose Women banter that blended humor with honesty, they embodied sisterhood. Quirke stepped back from TV in 2021 to focus on health, but their bond endured through letters and visits. Robson’s post, accompanied by a faded photo of them in matching feather boas from a 1990s wrap party, has amassed 2.5 million views, with fans pouring in messages of love. “This is why friendship is sacred—through the fog, she remembered,” wrote one. “Pauline and Linda, our forever duo,” added another.
Dementia, the “long goodbye,” claims 10,000 lives annually in the UK, robbing families of their anchors. Quirke’s journey, once private, now spotlights the disease’s cruelty, with Robson vowing to raise awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society. “Pauline’s fighting, and so am I—for her, for all of them,” she affirmed. As Quirke clings to her final days, surrounded by family and Linda’s unwavering presence, the roses in her room symbolize enduring beauty amid decay.
In a world of fleeting connections, Robson’s vigil reminds us: true friendship defies the darkness. “She’s my light, even now,” Linda whispered. As the nation holds its collective heart, Quirke and Robson’s story isn’t farewell—it’s a fierce, final embrace.
