Linda Robson shares heartbreaking Pauline Quirke update and reveals TV tribute plans after star’s dementia diagnosis

LINDA Robson has shared a heartbreaking update on close friend Pauline Quirke after it was revealed she has been living with dementia for three years. 

Last month actress Pauline's husband Steve Sheen revealed she would be stepping back from her 50-year career due to the syndrome. 

Now Linda, 66, has revealed the sad reality of the struggles Pauline’s loved ones are facing. 

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."

And Linda insisted that she’ll never do another episode of Birds of a Feather as it "wouldn’t be the same without Pauline". 

They starred together in Birds of a Feather as Sharon Theodopolopodous and Tracey Stubbs.

The sitcom ran on the BBC and then ITV across nearly 30 years.

But Linda revealed she would like to do a TV tribute to her friend. She said: “I wouldn’t do it without Pauline. 

“It wouldn’t be the same without her. I would be up for some kind of tribute to celebrate her.

"It's a good idea, maybe we can get Lesley and we can do something for her, just to celebrate her life and the amazing things she's done and the parts that she played and the dramas she did. She's an amazing actress and the most amazing friend as well."

Linda also teased she's working on something with Lesley Joseph - who also starred in Birds of a Feather as Dorien Green.

Refusing to give away too much, she simply said: "There's something in the pipeline."

Linda admitted Pauline's diagnosis has really hit her hard.

She said: "It does [hit you hard], I think about her all the time.

"She's not the Pauline that I knew growing up. She's got a good support around her, that's the main thing."

Speaking about advice she'd give family and friends who are also going through something similar, Linda said: "Just stay strong. Pauline's got a really good family around her - her two kids and her husband and her granddaughters.

"It's been going on for three years and I've known for three years but never told anybody.

"When she was meeting people, they were then beginning to realise that something wasn't right."

Linda admitted that she only gets to see Paulina on "Facetime", but said: "Hopefully I'm going to go and see her soon.

"When she sees me, she smiles. But after a couple of minutes it's gone."

Opening up about her fondest memories of her best friend, Pauline said: "56 years we've know each other, we started hanging out when we were ten-years-old, so a long time.

"There's so many memories, it opened so many doors for us. When we got into VIP, Stringfellows, Hippodrome, we had the best time as teenagers."

Looking to the future, Linda added: "I just want to be there for her, it would be really nice to spend some time with her and look after her because we looked after each other all them years."

After the news of Pauline's diagnosis was revealed last month, Linda took to Instagram to share her heartbreak.

She wrote: ";For the past three years, I’ve been in close contact with her husband, Steve, and have spent time with Pauline.