Meet Pauline Quirke's rarely-seen children Charlie and Emily
Pauline Quirke has retired from acting, after receiving a dementia diagnosis. In an official statement, the TV star's husband, Steve Sheen confirmed the news, telling fans that she had resigned from "all professional and commercial duties" and "just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchildren."
A proud mum of two, Pauline is currently being supported by her two children – daughter, Emily, 40, and son, Charlie, 30. The actress, who is also and loved known for appearing in Emmerdale and Broadchurch, made a point of giving her kids a grounded upbringing.
"My children have the same values I was brought up with," she told Mail Online in 2014. "They're well-mannered and they don't get everything they want." While Charlie has followed in his mum's footsteps with a career in acting, Emily has kept out of the spotlight and is raising a family of her own. Here's what we know about the rarely-seen siblings…
Emily Quirke
Pauline welcomed her eldest child, daughter Emily, during her first marriage. Back in 2000, the TV icon revealed that her then-teen daughter had expressed an interest in acting, and had helped out behind the scenes on the BBC drama series, Down To Earth, in which Pauline also starred.
Whether or not Emily pursued acting is unknown, but it's clear that she prefers to keep a low profile these days. In December 2014, it was reported that Emily was pregnant with her first child, giving Pauline the official title of 'grandmother'.
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Charlie Quirke
Pauline's son Charlie shares her passion for acting. He is best known for playing Travis Stubbs, the nephew of Pauline's character, Sharon, and appeared in 26 episodes. According to IMDb, Charlie has also featured in a 2006 episode of Casualty, as well as the 2019 comedy-drama film, Brighton.
In an interview with Mail Online, Pauline noted: "I'd never try to put Charlie off. I've had a fantastic career and I've got to meet people and go places that someone from my background would never have got to do. At the same time, while I love my job it's not my life. My kids, my husband and my home – that's my real life."
Charlie may have appeared in Birds of a Feather but the role was never handed to him. Chatting with Theatre Weekly in 2018, he said: "Production companies don't allow just anyone to be cast these days, I had to go through four auditions, and that helped me realise that I had earned it, but there was some pressure, luckily my mum is a great role model to watch and learn from.
"It feels like I have three mums on set," Charlie continued, "because I've known Linda (Robson) and Lesley (Joseph) my whole life, but I love working with my Mum, I really do."
