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Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales has died aged 93. She is best known for playing Sybil Fawlty in the show, the long-suffering wife of Basil Fawlty, played by John Cleese. However her career allowed her to show off a range of talents, including in opera. Her sons told PA: "Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday. She was 93. Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home. “She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died. “Pru was married to Timothy West for 61 years. He died in November 2024. “She is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. “We would like to thank all those who gave Pru such wonderful care at the end of her life: her last days were comfortable, contented and surrounded by love.” The iconic actress also portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the British film A Question Of Attribution as well as appearing in a one-woman show called, An Evening With Queen Victoria. However, she will be fondly remembered above all for her role in "partnership" with John Cleese in Fawlty Towers, frequently hailed as the most side-splitting comedy series ever broadcast on television. Prunella Margaret Rumney Illingworth was born on June 22, 1932 and attended Moira House Girls' School in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Her initial work, throughout an extensive career, featured appearances in the second UK adaptation of Pride And Prejudice (1952) and Hobson's Choice (1954). Her breakthrough moment arrived with the early 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines starring alongside Richard Briers. She also secured roles in BBC Radio 4 sitcoms, particularly After Henry, Smelling Of Roses and Ladies Of Letters, whilst on television she featured in the London Weekend/Channel 4 series Mapp & Lucia based on the novels by EF Benson. In 1973, Scales joined forces with Ronnie Barker in the series called Seven Of One, also for the BBC. Following numerous film appearances, in 2003 Scales took on the role of Hilda, the "she who must be obeyed", wife of Horace Rumpole in four BBC Radio 4 plays, with her real-life husband, Timothy West, playing her fictional husband. Sadly, Prunella was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013. Her husband Timothy West died in November 2024. Before his death, he spoke of his wife's health issues on Piers Morgan's Life Stories. He said: "The sad thing is that you just watch the gradual disappearance of the person that you knew and loved and were very close to. "When we've been to a concert, or a play, or a film, there's nothing very much we can say about it afterwards because Pru will have a fairly hazy memory." Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
