Birds of a Feather cast now – dementia tragedy, money woes and famous daughter

Beloved show Birds Of A Feather was a hit with viewers for over 30 years, becoming instantly famous with one of the most recognisable theme tunes around.

The show first aired in 1989, starring presenter and TV legend Pauline Quirke. Following the journey of two neighbours who are brought together when their husbands are sent to jail, fans instantly fell in love with the Cockney pair, which were joined by flirtatious neighbour Lesley Joseph.

But since the show came to an emotional end five years ago, the trio have been through a lot, as Pauline Quirke’s husband confirmed in Januaey 2025 that she is retiring from acting after being diagnosed with dementia.

Express.co.uk takes a look into the cast’s wild lives, including their money woes, tragedies, and love lives.

Linda Robson

Loose Women panellist Linda Robson has enjoyed a decades-long career in television and film and is best remembered for playing Tracey Stubbs in Birds of a Feather.

The actress, 65, revisited the role for the show’s revival and has also starred in TV shows including The Likely Lads, The Tomorrow People, Going Out, L For Lester and The Bill.

In 2017, Linda revealed she almost suffered a breakdown after finding herself trapped in thousands of pounds of debt. She admitted to laying in bed every night worried about her money woes and avoided opening letters from the bank.

The on-screen star admitted: “I ran up a lot of debts when Birds of a Feather had ended but I was used to having a good income and buying things.”

She later opened up about her financial struggles with her husband Mark Dunford, whom she split from last year after 33 years of marriage, and he helped pay off some of the debt on her behalf.

She confirmed her split from her partner of 33 years, stating: “We had some good years, but enough is enough.”

Now debt-free Linda recently revealed her children control her cash and she now has to ask them for pocket money.

Alun Lewis

Tracey’s hapless husband Darryl, played by Alun Lewis, was a recurring character throughout the 90s, before he was replaced as a guest character by Douglas McFerran.

After a strained marriage to his devoted wife following his many brushes with the law, the character was eventually killed off in a robbery gone wrong.

Alun was also well known for his role as Vic Windsor in , and was a member of the themed trio along with Steve Halliwell and Billy Hartman. However, he appears to have taken a step back from acting since his two hit 90s roles.

He is the father of musician Amelia Warner, also known as Slow Moving Millie, who briefly married star Colin Farrell in 2001 before settling down with actor Jamie Dornan. They share three children.

Pauline Quirke

Pauline Quirke enjoyed a successful career before she joined the cast in 1989 where she starred as Sharon Theodopolopodous.

After landing roles in The Tomorrow People, Play For Today, The Story Of The Treasure Seekers and Angels, Pauline has become a TV icon – with the star more recently appearing in Broadchurch and You, Me And The Apocalypse and has since become a household name.

The TV star did not return to the Christmas special of Birds of a Feather in 2020 sparking rumours of a feud with her co-star and pal Linda.

It left fans convinced that she and Linda had ended their friendship of fifty years amid a fallout that was shut down by the Loose Women star.

While Pauline did not make an appearance her lines in the title song were removed and so were pictures of Tracey and Sharon together. It was claimed Linda and Pauline had become estranged and last year Linda decided to address the rumours.

She told The Mirror: “People say Pauline and I have fallen out. Obviously I couldn’t see her during lockdown but I’ve seen her since. She just doesn’t want to act anymore. She’s had enough – it’s long hours. She’s concentrating on her drama academies. She’s very hands on, going to classes and all that.”

It was confirmed in January 2025 that Quirke has been diagnosed with dementia and is retiring from acting. In an emotional statement, her husband Steve Sheen said: “We are deeply grateful for the support of her peers, the public and the dedicated staff and Principals at PQA [Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts].

“We kindly request privacy and understanding for Pauline and our family during this difficult period. Pauline just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchildren.”.

Peter Polycarpou

Peter Polycarpou played Pauline Quirker’s character Sharon Theodopolopodous’ husband Chris on the show, appearing as a main star for five series before eventually being replaced.

Despite being innocent, he ended up being sent back to prison after being caught in one of Darryl’s schemes, much to the heartbreak of Sharon after they decided to start afresh.

Since his time on the show, Peter has appeared in a number of hit series, including ‘s Hustle and thriller Cleanskin alongside Sean Bean. However, his career has mostly been on the stage, as in 2019 he played Sancho in Man of La Mancha for English National Opera alongside Kelsey Grammar and Nicholas Lyndhurst.

Lesley Joseph

More than 20 years after landing her first TV role, Lesley Joseph played one of her most famous roles as neighbour Dorien Green in Birds of a Feather.

She has enjoyed a longstanding career and has featured in series including Minder, Ruth Rendall Mysteries, Night And Day and The Secret Of Eel Island.

While Lesley keeps her personal life private the on-screen star opened up about a tragic loss following the death of her mother.

“Losing a mother when you are very young, that is incredibly difficult because they don’t grow old with you,” she told the Mirror in 2016. “But if you lose them when they are older, you’ve had them all your life.

“I had a very close relationship with my mother. She was one of 12, and she was the last of them to die. I talk to her every day, in my head.

“I don’t think you ever lose that – she had a thirst for life Hopefully, touch wood, I’ve got her genes.”

Nickolas Grace

Nickolas Grace was the first edition of Dorien’s husband Marcus, who she regularly was unfaithul to – with hilarious consequences.

He appeared on the show sporadically as a main character until series seven, where the character was written by leaving Dorien to begin a new life with his mistress and their children.

The actor was best known for his roles in 1980s hit series Robin of Sherwood and Brideshead Revisited, but went on to star in several plays and TV shows.

Appearing in My Family in a recurring role, he then recorded for a number of Doctor Who audiobooks, before playing Albert Einstein in Doctor Who episode Death is the Only Answer.