ITV revived a beloved sitcom, which had originally aired on the BBC, more than a decade ago but cast member Linda Robson has announced that Birds of a Feather won’t return
A cast member from a beloved sitcom has announced that it won’t return for any more episodes. The actor said that it is now “time to move on” from the acclaimed show, which first aired more than 30 years ago.
The update on the future of Birds of a Feather was shared by Linda Robson, 67, who played Tracey Stubbs, in a recent interview. She starred on the long-running show alongside Pauline Quirke, 65, and Lesley Joseph, 79, who played Sharon Theodopolopodous and Dorien Green respectively.
Birds of a Feather initially ran on the BBC for nine series from 1989 to 1998. It was later revived by ITV for three subsequent series, which aired between 2014 and 2016. The most recent episode was a Christmas special back in 2020.
Linda has now suggested that the show “won’t come back”. The update comes following the news in January that her co-star Pauline would be stepping back from her career after being diagnosed with dementia four years ago.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Linda said: “Now Pauline has retired, Birds of a Feather won’t come back. It wouldn’t be the same without her.” She further told the outlet in the interview: “It’s had its day now. It’s time to move on.”
The Loose Women panelist also reminisced about the award-winning sitcom. She went on to share that Birds of a Feather – which spawned a stage show in 2012 – remains beloved by fans who grew up watching the sitcom.
Reflecting on the popularity of the show, she said in the interview: “It’s amazing to look back at the success of the show.” Linda added: “People love it even now. They tell me they grew up watching it throughout their childhood.”
The interview comes just months after it was announced that her former colleague Pauline had been diagnosed with dementia. Pauline’s husband Steve Sheen shared the news in a statement that was released back in January.
Steve said in the statement: “‘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.” He added that she “just wants to spend time with her family, children and grandchildren”.
Since then, updates have been shared by loved ones, including Linda. She spoke to the Mirror about her friend whilst at TV Choice Awards last month and said that it had been “tough” after finding out about the diagnosis herself.
Linda said at the time: “I knew about Pauline’s diagnosis for three years and it has been tough.” The actor said that she’s since kept in touch with her pal’s husband Steve and went on to say that Pauline’s “being really looked after”.
She continued whilst at the awards ceremony: “We FaceTime a lot but she doesn’t say too much, we’re always in contact and I’m seeing her next week. It’s nice to see the support for her but it can be upsetting to talk about it.”
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Dementia UK.
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