Linda Robson has announced that she has landed a huge new role away from Loose Women in a West End production.

The ITV star, 66, is widely recognised for her role as Tracey Stubbs in the hit sitcom Birds of a Feather, where she last appeared alongside Lesley Joseph and Pauline Quirke in December 2020.

She also made her debut on the panel of the ITV daytime debate show Loose Women in 2003 and has remained a regular presence ever since.

But now in a new interview with The Sun, Linda revealed that she will take to the stage in the production of Fawlty Towers.

She told the publication: ‘I did The Good Ship Murder, and then I’m going into [John Cleese’s] Fawlty Towers, the play, for a couple of months, so I’m looking forward to that.’

When asked if she was nervous about her new gig, Linda admitted: ‘A little bit, yes.’

Linda Robson has announced that she has landed a huge new role away from Loose Women in a West End production (pictured at the press nigh performance of The Last Laugh earlier in February)

She continued: ‘Because I haven’t done stage for a little while. I’m going to see it on Friday night, and then we start [the live shows] in probably May/June.’

MailOnline has contacted Linda’s rep for comment. 

It comes after Linda revealed her Birds Of A Feather co-star Pauline ‘no longer recognises me or her children’ amid her heartbreaking dementia diagnosis.

The star admitted she has known about her former co-star’s diagnosis for three years as she shared an update on her close friend, 65.

In an upsetting admission, Linda also said she would ‘rather get cancer’ over dementia ‘because at least then you’ve got a chance.’

Pauline married TV producer Steve in 1996, and they share son Charlie, 30, while the actress also has daughter Emily, 40, from a previous relationship.

Linda told The Sun at this month’s TV Choice Awards: ‘It’s very sad. We’ve been best friends since we were ten. I’ve known [about the diagnosis] for three years and we’ve managed to keep it quiet.

‘She doesn’t know who anybody is. She doesn’t know who I am or who her kids are. Dementia is terrible – I’d rather get cancer, because at least then you’ve got a chance.’

It comes after Linda revealed her Birds Of A Feather co-star Pauline ‘no longer recognises me or her children’ amid her heartbreaking dementia diagnosis (pictured together 1989)

In an upsetting admission, Linda also said she would ‘rather get cancer’ over dementia ‘because at least then you’ve got a chance’

Linda also revealed to MailOnline she had been privately supporting Pauline by phoning her.

She said she had spoken to Pauline on FaceTime but there was ‘not much conversation’.

Explaining that seeing her face is more than enough, she said: ‘I’ve been FaceTiming. There’s not much conversation but it’s just nice to see her face really.’

Linda also discussed the warm reaction she has had from people who speak to her about Pauline, saying: ‘Yeah people do say, sorry to hear about your friend.’

Revealing her plans to see her soon, she said: ‘She’s in the best place and she’s got family looking after her. Hopefully I’m going to go and see her next week.’

Linda was joined by her Loose Women co-stars at the event and she was quick to dismiss any speculation about strife in the ITV camp.

When asked if it was nice to be out with the Loose Women, she said: ‘Yeah it is really, really nice. Everyone talks about feuds, there is no feuds.

‘We’ve all been mates, I’ve been doing it for 20 years. But it’s been going for 25 years. I feel lucky that I’m still doing it.

Her husband Steve Sheen announced in a statement last month that the the Birds Of A Feather star would be ‘ stepping away from all commercial and professional duties’ after living with the disease for four years  (pictured together) 

‘We’ve got the younger ones on as well now which is really nice. Myleene, Frankie Bridge, Olivia Attwood. Then the Oldies. I’m one of the oldies now! I never dreamt I’d be one of the oldies.’

It was reported last week that Pauline can no longer recognise family amid her devastating battle with dementia.

Read More Linda Robson reveals Pauline Quirke ‘doesn’t recognise me or her kids’ amid dementia diagnosis

Her husband Steve Sheen announced in a statement last month that she would be ‘stepping away from all commercial and professional duties’ after living with the disease for four years.

Then Maurice Glen, who co-wrote the sitcom which made Pauline famous alongside pal Linda revealed her condition had sadly ‘gathered pace’.

Telling the publication: ‘She’s still only 65 so your heart goes out to her. Initially, she felt she was beginning to lose her grip. Now, we understand she struggles to identify members of her own family.’

Maurice said how fellow Birds Of A Feather star Lesley Joseph, 79, telephoned him shortly before the statement was made public last month.

‘[Lesley asked] if Pauline’s husband, Steve Sheen, had been in touch, I told her no. ‘Well,’ said Lesley, ‘he’s going to go public about Pauline to put a stop to all the speculation’.

Rumours of a rift between Pauline and co-star Linda emerged when Pauline quit Birds Of A Feather in 2017 and her character Sharon Theodopolopodous was absent from the 2020 Christmas special, a year before her diagnosis.

A devastated Maurice, who co-wrote the sitcom with Laurence Marks, said: ‘I’ve always said that Pauline’s talent made our words sound better. It couldn’t be sadder,’