“Hurry… she wants to see you.”: Linda Robson Rushed To the hospital — heart in her throat — to be by Pauline Quirke’s side in one of their most fragile moments yet
Linda Robson has shared an emotional update about her friend and former Birds of a Feather co-star during the actress’ ongoing battle with dementia
Linda Robson has shared a deeply moving update about her lifelong friend and former Birds Of A Feather co-star Pauline Quirke as the actress continues her private battle with dementia.
Pauline and Linda, 67, first struck up a close friendship aged ten when they started attending the same theatre school, and later went on to work together on screen
Appearing on BBC Breakfast, the Loose Women panellist opened up alongside Pauline’s devoted son Charlie, who is preparing to take on a gruelling 140km trek across the UK in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK, inspired by his mum’s diagnosis.
The duo first appeared on Pauline’s Quirkes in the 1970s, before going on to star side by side in Shine On Harvey Moon, Jobs For The Girls and Birds Of A Feather
Linda and Pauline, now both 67, first became inseparable at just ten years old after meeting at the same theatre school — a friendship that blossomed into decades of on-screen success.
Son Charlie (right) previously made an appearance on the show to speak about his beloved mum during her dementia battle
The pair first worked together on Pauline’s Quirkes in the 1970s before starring side by side in Shine On Harvey Moon, Jobs For The Girls and, most famously, Birds Of A Feather.
Pauline Quirke’s family have shared a heartbreaking update about her dementia battle as she continues to fight with the condition
Pauline quietly stepped back from public life after receiving her life-changing diagnosis in 2021. But despite the illness, Linda revealed the bond between them has never faded.
Pauline with her husband Steve Sheen and son Charlie Sheen pictured in November 2010
Speaking tenderly about their most recent meeting, Linda said:
“We met up about three or four weeks ago at a restaurant. It was so lovely. She was just giggling, really enjoying herself — she even ate everything. I left feeling happy because she was happy, and I know her family are looking after her so well.”
The iconic Birds Of A Feather star, 66, was sadly diagnosed with the illness back in 2021 (pictured with her co-stars Lesley Joseph as Dorien and Linda Robson as Tracey)
Charlie then explained how his emotional charity trek — which begins today, December 8, and concludes on Friday — will retrace meaningful locations from Pauline’s life before ending at the family home.
Linda added warmly:
“I’ve known him since he was in the womb. He’s such a good boy. Dementia affects so many families — my mum had it terribly. It’s the worst thing.”
Meanwhile Charlie explained how the family don’t know what stage she is at in her diagnosis
Charlie said the walk is about celebrating his mother’s remarkable career while raising awareness:
“This trek is about my mum’s life and legacy. It’s special to be here with Linda today and get this started.”
The update follows further emotional revelations from Pauline’s family, who admit they are unsure what stage of the disease she is at — choosing instead to take things one day at a time. They shared that she is often still “funny, talking and happy”.
Her husband Steve Sheen previously recalled the moment they first noticed something was wrong when Pauline struggled to read a script.
“She phoned me and said, ‘The words aren’t going in,’” he said.
“We were in disbelief. We thought it was long Covid or the flu.”
Charlie added:
“No one tells you what stage you’re at. My mum still knows exactly who we are — every time she sees us she smiles, laughs and says ‘I love you’.”
Steve continued:
“It’s so gradual. For the first year or two you think she’s alright. Now, three or four years in, it’s different. That’s why awareness matters — we had no idea how long it lasts or how it progresses.”
Earlier this year, Pauline officially announced her retirement from acting. In a heartfelt statement, Steve said:
“It is with a heavy heart that I share Pauline’s decision to step back from all professional and commercial duties following her dementia diagnosis in 2021.”
He praised her extraordinary career — from her iconic role as Sharon in Birds Of A Feather to BAFTA-nominated performances in The Sculptress and acclaimed roles in Broadchurch, Emmerdale, Carrie’s War and many more.
In 2022, Pauline was awarded an MBE in the late Queen’s final Birthday Honours for her tireless work with young people through the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts, which now supports more than 15,000 students across the UK.
“Her acting career has now come to a close,” Steve said,
“but her legacy lives on.”
IT ALL CAME OUT' – GAVIN NEWSOM BLOWS UP AFTER BEING EXPOSED LIVE ON AIR
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As the 2028 presidential election cycle rapidly approaches, life is getting increasingly complicated for California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The ambitious Democrat, widely expected to declare his candidacy for his party's highest nomination, is currently drowning in a massive, rapidly expanding ethics scandal centered on hundreds of millions of dollars in questionable corporate donations. As federal investigators continue to circle both the governor and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the sheer scale of his fundraising tactics is raising serious alarm bells across the political spectrum.
At the absolute center of this controversy is Newsom’s unprecedented and unapologetic use of "behested payments"—a controversial practice in California law that allows elected officials to personally solicit massive, unlimited donations from deep-pocketed corporations, wealthy individuals, and labor unions to fund specific charities or government initiatives.
While technically legal under the state's highly permissive rules, government watchdogs and ethics experts are fiercely arguing that these payments represent a glaring, dangerous loophole. It essentially allows special interests—many of whom have active, highly lucrative business before the state of California—to gain massive political influence and curry favor with the governor, entirely outside the strict boundaries of traditional campaign finance laws.
The $347 Million Man
According to official California disclosure records, the scale at which Newsom utilizes this loophole is utterly staggering. Since 2011, Newsom has reported soliciting more than $347 million in behested payments.
To put that massive figure into perspective, data from the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) reveals that all elected officials statewide combined directed roughly $556 million in behested payments between 2011 and 2026. Newsom alone accounted for nearly two-thirds—a whopping 62%—of that total.
By stark contrast, his predecessor, former Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, reportedly solicited a relatively modest $35 million in behested payments during his entire tenure.
"Behested payments are ripe for abuse," warned Sean McMorris of California Common Cause, pointing out the obvious ethical minefield created when powerful elected officials lean on organizations that have direct business before the government.
The Optics of Influence Peddling
The ethical concerns are not just hypothetical; they are rooted in a pattern of massive corporate donations followed by highly favorable state actions.
Public reports have raised serious questions about several major donors who opened their checkbooks at Newsom's behest and later benefited immensely from state contracts or policy decisions. For example, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare giant Blue Shield donated a staggering $20 million to initiatives heavily supported by Newsom. Shortly thereafter, the corporation was miraculously awarded a highly lucrative, no-bid state contract related to vaccine distribution.
Similarly, the Kaiser Foundation contributed nearly $10 million before securing a significantly expanded role in California’s massive Medi-Cal program. In another instance, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria donated millions to organizations associated with the governor and his wife’s initiatives. Later, they benefited significantly from favorable state decisions involving tribal gaming matters, including efforts to block a rival casino from opening nearby.
While proving an explicit, legal quid pro quo is notoriously difficult, critics argue that the actual transaction is irrelevant. The concern is that the system inherently encourages and rewards a "pay-to-play" culture. Assemblyman David Tangipa slammed the practice, describing behested payments as a blatant form of "political influence peddling," boldly arguing that just because the system is legal does not mean it isn't deeply corrupt.
The Family Business and Federal Heat
The issue has drawn even fiercer scrutiny because millions of these corporate dollars have been funneled directly into organizations tightly linked to the governor’s inner circle. Approximately $4.8 million in behested donations were routed to the California Partners Project, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. For many critics, corporate money flowing into a charity run by the governor's wife creates, at the very least, a glaring appearance of a massive conflict of interest.
The intense debate over this influence-peddling loophole comes at a highly precarious time for the governor. Newsom recently acknowledged that both he and his wife are currently the subjects of multiple, ongoing federal investigations. While neither has been charged with any wrongdoing, and the Department of Justice has remained completely tight-lipped about the exact nature of the inquiries, the specter of a federal probe casts a dark cloud over his 2028 presidential ambitions.
A "Laughable Slap on the Wrist"
Adding insult to injury for government transparency advocates, Newsom recently agreed to pay a $31,500 ethics fine handed down by the state's campaign finance watchdog, the FPPC. The fine was levied after the commission found that Newsom flagrantly failed to legally report 36 separate behested payments—totaling more than $5.6 million—within the required 30-day timeframe.
The late disclosures involved massive corporate donations solicited during the 2024 and 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, pulling in vast sums from corporate titans like BlackRock, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Anthem Blue Cross. While Newsom's office brushed off the violation as a mere paperwork oversight during an emergency, critics blasted the $31,500 penalty as a "laughable slap on the wrist" for a wealthy politician manipulating a quarter-billion-dollar shadow fundraising system. This marks the second time Newsom has been fined for late reporting of these payments, having previously paid a $13,000 fine in 2024.
Supporters of the governor are quick to point out that these behested donations have funded critical public initiatives, including wildfire relief and charitable causes. However, the public benefit of those projects does absolutely nothing to eliminate the massive concerns surrounding transparency, corporate influence, and the ability of powerful special interests to funnel unlimited cash into causes promoted by the state's most powerful executive.
As Newsom attempts to position himself as the future of the Democratic Party, the growing scandal surrounding his $347 million loophole is forcing a national reckoning. The American people are left to wonder: if this is how Gavin Newsom runs California, how exactly would he run the country?
