Eamonn Holmes reacts to actress Pauline Quirke’s dementia diagnosis as he shares shock at data
GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes has shared his support for actress Pauline Quirke following her dementia diagnosis announcement.
Speaking on GB News, Eamonn highlighted the growing impact of dementia in Britain, noting it is now the most common cause of death in the country.
He explained: “The actress Pauline Quirke yesterday announced through spokespeople that she was retiring from acting because she is suffering from dementia.
“I’m just looking at the statistics for dementia around the country and it is the most common cause of death in Britain.
“Cases are on the up, almost a million people have it. Only around half have been officially diagnosed, and it will hit 1.7 million by 2040.
“Nearly one in 40 people have it due to the ageing population. In the country Alzheimer’s is the most, I’m going to say, popular. It’s a common type of dementia. There is no cure, this is a no cure disease.”
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Co-host Ellie Costello added: “We are sending her all our love aren’t we.”
Pauline Quirke’s husband Steve Sheen announced yesterday that the actress would step back from all professional duties following her dementia diagnosis four years ago.
“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,” Sheen said.
“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,” he added.
Sheen praised his wife’s “talent, dedication, and vision”.
The 65-year-old actress is best known for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous in Birds of a Feather, which ran from 1989 to 1998 on BBC One before returning on ITV from 2014 to 2020.
Quirke won a British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Newcomer in 1990 for her portrayal of Sharon.
The sitcom followed the lives of sisters Tracey and Sharon, played by Linda Robson and Quirke, who must fend for themselves after their husbands are arrested for armed robbery.
Throughout her 50-year career, she also appeared in notable productions including Broadchurch, Emmerdale and The Sculptress.
In 2022, Quirke was made an MBE for her services to young people, the entertainment industry and charity.
The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA), founded by Quirke and her husband in 2007, continues to operate with approximately 250 academies across the UK.
The academy network, which serves more than 15,000 students, “will continue to operate as normal in accordance with Pauline’s ideology,” according to Mr Sheen.