Pauline Quirke’s son has shared a deeply moving update about his beloved mother, revealing that despite the difficult reality of living with dementia, the Birds of a Feather star remains the person he has always known and loved — funny, warm and, above all, his “best friend”.
Charlie Quirke spoke candidly about his mother during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, offering a rare glimpse into family life away from the spotlight.
Pauline, one of Britain’s most familiar television faces, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021 at the age of 61. Her diagnosis was later made public after she stepped away from acting and retired from professional and commercial duties.
Since then, updates about the actress have understandably been limited.
But Charlie’s words offered fans something both emotional and reassuring.
“Still my best friend!” he said when asked about their relationship.
And despite everything the family is navigating, one precious part of Pauline’s personality remains unmistakably present.
“She’s still the funniest woman in the world.”
“Every day is a good day for us”
For millions of viewers, Pauline will forever be remembered for her unforgettable performances on British television, particularly as Sharon Theodopolopodous in the much-loved sitcom Birds of a Feather.
But for Charlie, she has always simply been Mum.
During his Good Morning Britain appearance, presenters Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh looked back at clips from Pauline’s remarkable career — including scenes in which mother and son appeared together.
Charlie described working alongside his mother as a “dream come true”.
“It was a dream come true to be able to work with my mum,” he recalled.
The pair first shared a stage before Charlie later joined her on television for three seasons.
For him, those memories now carry an even deeper meaning.
“To be able to share a stage with my mum and then be on TV for three seasons, it was a dream come true being on set with my best friend and an amazing actress at the same time.”
When Ranvir asked whether Pauline was still his best friend — and whether her illness had changed the humour that audiences loved so much — Charlie’s response was immediate.
“Still my best friend!”
He added: “She’s still the funniest woman in the world. With her acting ability, she can do so much with a look or a wink.”
It was a touching reminder that behind a diagnosis is still the person a family knows and loves.
Charlie continued: “She’s still the funniest person that I know.”
But he was also candid about the reality his family faces.
“The illness is what it is, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Rather than looking too far ahead, the family is focusing on the time they have together.
“We take every day as it comes, and every day is a good day for us.”
A son running for his mum
Charlie’s television appearance came ahead of an especially meaningful challenge: taking part in the London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
For Charlie, however, the run was about far more than reaching a finish line.
It was about his mother.
Pauline was expected to watch from home, continuing a family tradition of following the famous sporting event — except this time, their own son would be among the thousands of runners.
Charlie explained that his parents watch the marathon every year, making his participation particularly poignant.
And he planned to carry something deeply personal with him every step of the way.
A photograph.
Not just any photograph, but an image of Charlie and Pauline taken on the day he was born.
He had only recently rediscovered it after his father gave it to him.
“I’m carrying a photo of me and my mum together,” Charlie revealed.
“I only found it yesterday. It’s from the day I was born; my dad gave it to me.”
Charlie planned to keep the photograph tucked inside his running vest throughout the marathon.
And when he reached the finish line, he intended to take it out.
“I’m going to have that in my vest, and I’m going to take it out when I finish the finish line.”
It is a simple gesture, but one carrying decades of memories between a mother and her son.
From the photograph taken at the very beginning of Charlie’s life to the moment he crossed one of the most famous finish lines in the world, Pauline would symbolically be with him for every mile.
A career that brought joy to millions
Pauline’s dementia diagnosis marked a heartbreaking change for an actress whose work had entertained British audiences for decades.
Her career stretched across television, film and theatre, but it was Birds of a Feather that made her a household name.
Alongside Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, Pauline became part of one of British television’s most recognisable comedy ensembles.
Yet according to Charlie, his mother never appeared particularly impressed by her own fame.
When Ranvir asked whether Pauline understood the extraordinary legacy of joy she had given viewers, Charlie painted a wonderfully down-to-earth picture of the woman behind the television icon.
“My mum has always been the most humble woman in the world,” he said.
To Pauline, acting may have been a successful career — but home and family remained at the centre of her world.
Charlie joked that while others might have been thinking about her latest performance, Pauline was probably worrying about everyday family life.
“I think it was purely a job to her,” he explained.
“She’d be thinking about what she was going to cook us for dinner or what had to go on the washing machine or our uniforms the next day!”
It is perhaps that contrast that makes Pauline so beloved.
To audiences, she was a television star.
To her family, she was Mum — thinking about dinner, laundry and school uniforms.
“She’s an incredible woman”
Looking back now, Charlie can appreciate just how extraordinary his mother’s body of work truly is.
“We all can look back at the amount of decades she’s been working,” he said.
“It’s quite the breadth of work that she’s done and changed people’s lives.”
Then came perhaps the simplest and most powerful tribute of all.
“She’s an incredible woman.”
For families affected by dementia, Charlie’s description of the illness as “a marathon, not a sprint” may feel especially poignant.
There is uncertainty, change and enormous emotional difficulty.
But his update was also filled with love.
Pauline is still his best friend.
She can still make him laugh.
And rather than allowing fear of the future to overshadow the present, the Quirke family is choosing to value each day they have together.
As Charlie put it: “We take every day as it comes.”
For a woman who spent decades making millions of people smile, perhaps the most touching update is also the simplest.
At home, surrounded by the people who know her not as a television legend but as a wife and mother, Pauline Quirke remains deeply loved — and her son is carrying that love with him every step of the way.
