Pauline Quirke was extremely close to Linda Robson before their rumoured ‘feud’. Pauline and Linda had grown up together as children and had an incredibly close friendship, claiming to have never argued.
However, Pauline left the show that made them famous after speculation that their relationship had soured due to a huge falling out, allegedly resulting in an ‘irreconcilable rift.’
The introduction of a third person into their friendship – Birds Of A Feather co-star Lesley Joseph – could have played a role. The actress portrayed man-eating neighbour Dorien Green in the ITV sitcom, who frequently clashed with Pauline’s character Sharon Theodopolopodous.
When the series ended on the BBC in 1998, the ladies remained friends, but Linda and Lesley formed an especially close bond. This friendship, however, is said to be a contributing factor to the rumoured fallout between Linda and Pauline.
Birds Of A Feather was revived on ITV in 2014, but Pauline chose not to participate in the show’s 30th-anniversary celebrations in 2019. There were claims Pauline left to focus on other projects, but rumours swirled that her departure was due to a secret rift between her and Linda.