The son of Birds of a Feather legend Pauline Quirke has given an update on the star's health as she battles dementia. The 66-year-old, who was awarded an MBE in 2023 for her services to the entertainment industry, charity, and young people, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in 2021. Appearing on Good Morning Britain to discuss his fundraising efforts for Alzheimer's Research UK with Team Quirke in the London Marathon on Sunday, April 26, Charlie Quirke, 31, gave viewers an insight into his mum's life and health now, when hosts Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh enquired after her.

"The dementia hasn't taken her humour away, not at all - she's still the funniest woman in the world. And with her acting ability, she can do so much with a look or a wink or a word," he smiled. "She's still, she's still the funniest person that I know. The illness is what it is. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and we take every day as it comes," he said.

"As a family, we don't know any different, really. This is just the cards we've been dealt. And it's different for everyone else around the country, who's going through the same thing.

"We take every day as it comes. Every day is a school day, and we try to do the best we can and learn about the condition and just smile," he said.

Speaking about the upcoming marathon, the actor, who appeared alongside his mother in Birds of a Feather, revealed he will have his mum close to his heart on the day.

"I'm carrying a photo of me and my mum together, which I only found yesterday. It was from the day I was born. My dad gave it to me. So I'm gonna have that in my vest, and I'm gonna take it out and across the finish line," he said.

Asked what Pauline thinks of her career and legacy now, Charlie responded: "My mum has always been the most humble woman in the world, so I think it was just a purely a job to her. She would be [on set] thinking about what she was going to cook us for dinner, or what had to go on the washing machine or for our uniforms the next day.

"I think we all can look back and...the amount of decades my mom's been working, it's quite a breadth of work. [She's] just an incredible, incredible woman.

"My mum's legacy will continue for as long as, as long as we can," he said. "And the PQA (Pauline Quirke Academy) is a legacy, she and my dad created. It's incredible."

The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA) was set up by the actress and her husband, Steve, in 2007 when they were unable to find a suitable performing arts school for Charlie.

It now boasts over 200 academies across the UK, offering training in comedy, drama, musical theatre, and film & television for children and teens.