Pauline Quirke has been diagnosed with dementia and will be stepping away from acting, her husband has confirmed.

The 65-year-old star was best known for her role in the hit sitcom Birds Of A Feather, playing Sharon Theodopolopodous opposite Linda Robson, who played her sister Tracey.

Steve Sheen, who has been married to Quirke since 1996, said she had been diagnosed with the condition in 2021.

In a statement, he said it was “with a heavy heart” that she was stepping back from her professional and commercial duties because of her diagnosis.

He went on: “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.”

Quirke and her husband, who worked as an executive producer on Birds Of A Feather, have two children together. Their son Charlie is also an actor.

Quirke’s family have pledged future support to Alzheimer’s Research UK and say they will be working alongside the charity to raise funds for research and awareness of dementia.

The statement also drew comparisons with the work done to raise awareness for the cause by the family of late EastEnders actress Dame Barbara Windsor, who died in 2020, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease six years previously.

Sheen went on: “We are very proud of what our family friend Scott Mitchell is doing with Alzheimer’s Research UK in his late wife Dame Barbara Windsor’s name. So, when we feel able, we will also align ourselves with the charity.”

One of the most recognisable stars of British comedy, Quirke began acting as a child getting her own TV show as a teenager – Pauline’s Quirkes – where she frequently worked with Linda Robson.

The pair were brought together again in 1989 in Birds of a Feather, where the roles of mismatched sisters brought together after their husbands are sent to jail for armed robbery turned them into household names.

A female-led comedy, Lesley Joseph played the third lead in the show, as nosey neighbour Dorien Green.

Running for nine years on the BBC, it attracted nearly 20 million viewers at its height. It was rebooted by ITV in 2014 and ran for six more years.

Quirke did not return for a Christmas special in 2020.

In a career spanning over half a decade, Quirke has starred in more than 60 TV and film productions, including Broadchurch, Carrie’s War, North and South, Casualty, Cold Blood, My Family and Emmerdale.

In 1990 Quirke won a British Comedy award for her role in Birds Of A Feather and in 1996 she was nominated for a BAFTA for her performance as a convicted murderess in The Sculptress.

In 1995 Quirke and Robson appeared on the BBC documentary Jobs For The Girls, trying out a new profession each week, frequently with comedic results.

In 2007 The Pauline Quirke Academy Of Performing Arts opened, offering classes in singing, dancing, and acting for children from four to 18. Based in Buckinghamshire, it operates across the country.

The academy said it was “deeply moved by the messages that we have received” following news of Quirke’s diagnosis, adding, “it has been wonderful to see how many lives Pauline has touched through her work”.

They said teaching at the academy would “continue as normal”.

Quirke was awarded an MBE in 2022 in recognition of her work with young people, contributions to entertainment and dedication to charitable causes.

One in two people will be directly affected by dementia – either by developing the condition themselves, caring for someone with it, or both – according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Dear White People star DeRon Horton says he was shot days before Christmas and is lucky not to have been killed or paralysed.

The 32-year-old star shared photos of him being treated for his injuries in hospital, saying he had been shot at while he in a car.

He said he was now out of the hospital and still “healing”.

His co-star from The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey, Samuel L Jackson, was among the celebrities posting to wish him well.

Horton said in a message that he wanted to “give an honour to God for covering me and protecting me to make it out this situation and countless other ones” and thanked his family and friends for their support.

He said getting “shot a few days before Xmas def wasn’t on my wish list”, explaining that the “bullet broke my arm”, and “shattered it”.

Photos he shared included an X-ray which appeared to show his broken bones, a long wound with a line of stitches along the length of his arm, and bullet damage to his car.

Horton also said he felt “blessed” he was not seriously hurt, and he would “bounce right back”.

“I just wanted to remind y’all and myself to keep god first,” he added.

Pulp Fiction star Jackson commented on his post, writing: “Glad you’re still with us, (tough) stuff!!! Good thing you’re covered by the all mighty. Hoping you heal quickly and (as) painlessly as possible. Stay blessed.”

Empire actress Serayah McNeill, Saints And Sinners actor Christian Keyes, The Flight Attendant’s Griffin Matthews and Everybody Hates Chris star Imani Hakim all sent their love to Horton.

McNeill wrote: “Wow! I’m so glad you’re here and on your road to recovery.”

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In hit Netflix series Dear White People, Horton portrays a gay student who works for a student newspaper and becomes interested in covering Logan Browning’s character’s outspoken college radio show – where she discusses issues of race.

Horton also starred in action movie Dirt, fantasy romance Endless, drama Burning Sands, and horror American Horror Story: 1984.

Born in Houston, Horton moved to Saudi Arabia when he was 10, returning to the US after he finished secondary school.

Donald Trump will be sworn in as US president on 20 January in Washington DC, to being his second stint in the biggest job in politics.

A national holiday thanks to the fact it coincides with Martin Luther King Jr Day, spectators can expect an event full of pomp, pageantry and entertainment.

Back at his first inauguration in 2017, Mr Trump appeared to struggle to rustle up celebrity attendees – so who might we see turn up second time around?

Political figures and world leaders

Outgoing president Joe Biden, 82, will attend his successor’s inauguration. It was a pleasantry not performed by Mr Trump during Mr Biden’s inauguration in 2020, which Mr Trump – who claimed the election had been stolen from him – chose to skip.

It’s also traditional for all living former presidents to attend the inauguration, so Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton are all likely to attend. Former first lady, Michelle Obama, however, will not be attending.

Mr Trump has also invited world leaders this year for the first time.

Mr Trump’s new efficiency tsar and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is attending the event and reportedly will be seated alongside fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has confirmed his attendance, and says he hopes to “mend any broken fences” with Mr Musk after a recent social media spat between the two.

Official acts

The Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee kept its cards close to its chest until just a few days before the inauguration.

Musical performances are a staple of the event, with a marching band, and various inauguration galas throughout the evening. Stars including Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and John Legend have been part of past shows for previous presidents.

This year’s acts have a distinctly Country flavour, with big names including Billy Ray Cyrus and Kid Rock – both of whom endorsed Mr Trump at the 2024 election.

Rock, 53, whose real name is Robert James Richie, has been a vocal supporter of the Republican Party and the president-elect for many years.

He previously sang ahead of Mr Trump’s speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention in July and joined Mr Trump’s entourage at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in November.

Rock will join country singer Cyrus, 63, who is the father of pop star Miley Cyrus – a vocal critic of Mr Trump – at the Make America Great Again Rally at Capital One Arena in Washington on Sunday, along with a choir from Liberty University, which is a private evangelical Christian school in Virginia.

Alongside being Miley’s dad, Billy Ray is most famous for his 1990s country hit Achy Breaky Heart.

They will be joined by country singer Jason Aldean, singer and saxophonist Lee Greenwood and The Village People at The Liberty Ball on Monday night, along with a “surprise musical guest”.

Aldean, 47, is a five-time Grammy nominee and the performer of the controversial country song Try That In A Small Town, which he dedicated to Mr Trump after the attempt on his life in July.

Greenwood sang God Bless The USA at the inauguration eight years ago and was a staple at Trump campaign rallies last year. He has said he’s “excited” to sing for his “friend” Mr Trump “yet again”.

Meanwhile, country group Rascal Flatts will be at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, focused on military service members, with Texas-based singer-songwriter Parker McCollum.

Rascal Flatts frontman Gary LeVox wrote on Instagram that he was “happy and humbled and grateful for the opportunity”. LeVox played at Mr Trump’s first inauguration and promised it will be a “night to remember”, thanking South Dakota governor Kristi Noem in his post.

The Starlight Ball, which focuses on high-worth donors, will feature a performance from Gavin DeGraw, a singer-songwriter best known for the song I Don’t Want To Be, which was used as the theme song for the TV show One Tree Hill.

Previously confirmed acts include American Idol star Carrie Underwood who is arguably the biggest name on the bill.

The eight-time Grammy winner will sing America The Beautiful alongside the Armed Forces Choir and the US Naval Academy Glee Club shortly before Mr Trump takes the oath of office.

Commenting on her part in the day, Underwood said in a statement: “I love our country and am honoured to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event”. The 41-year-old singer has previously kept her political views private.

Classical singer Christopher Macchio will sing Oh, America! before the vice-presidential oath of office with JD Vance, and will close the ceremony with a rendition of the American National Anthem.

Victor Willis, frontman of the Village People, previously announced the band had accepted an invitation to perform at the inauguration, telling their fans in a post on Facebook: “We know this won’t make some of you happy to hear, however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics.

“Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost,” he added.

“Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music, which is why Village People will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J Trump.”

Willis last month defended Mr Trump’s use of Y.M.C.A. at campaign rallies and denied that the song is a “gay anthem”.

The 1978 disco hit spiked in listenership in November after it secured a spot on Mr Trump’s campaign playlist, according to Sky News’ US partner, NBC News.

Who else could be there?

Actor Jon Voight, who was recently appointed as “a special envoy” to Hollywood following the California wildfires and who is a vocal supporter of Mr Trump, spoke at his last inauguration – so it seems possible we could see a repeat performance.

And singer Mary Millben sang the national anthem at both Mr Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally and the Republican National Convention back in July.

One wildcard potential guest could be Kanye West, who has been a vocal supporter of Mr Trump in the past, and who met with him in the Oval Office back in 2018.

When asked earlier this year if he would be voting Republican, West told reporters: “Yeah, of course. It’s Trump all day.”

Who performed at Trump’s last inauguration?

Classical singer Jackie Evancho, a former America’s Got Talent contestant, sang the national anthem at Mr Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, calling it a “huge honour” to perform for the president.

But the young star, who has a transgender sister, did later say she was “disappointed” by Mr Trump’s decision to roll back on transgender rights.

Meanwhile, country singer Toby Keith was arguably the biggest name on the bill the first time around. He died from stomach cancer last February.

Other acts who performed in 2017 include The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, rock band 3 Doors Down, DJ Ravidrums and musical group The Piano Guys.

Prime-time TV show?

In 2021, Joe Biden’s inauguration included a prime-time inauguration day TV programme hosted by Tom Hanks.

Celebrating America featured performances from acts including Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake.

It’s not known if a similar programme will be aired following Mr Trump’s inauguration this year.