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John Cleese has said that ‘they're almost all dead’ in a poignant tribute to one of his late Fawlty Towers co-stars. The Monty Python comedy legend is best known in the UK for his work on the BBC sitcom, which he co-wrote with his first wife Connie Boot. Playing the role of Basil Fawlty, the series , which aired for just two seasons in 1975 and 1979, followed the character trying to navigate the madness of running a dysfunctional hotel. It was recently announced that John’s onscreen wife Prunella Scales , who played Sybil Fawlty on the programme, ‘died 'peacefully at home in London’ on Monday, October 28. Her sons Samuel and Joseph said in a statement to the PA news agency: “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.” Prunella’s passing arrived just one year after her husband of over 60 years, Timothy West , who died last November at the age of 90. Appearing on Thursday’s (November 5) episode of ITV talk show This Morning John was shown clips from his time working on Fawlty Towers. “Watching those clips from Fawlty Towers, and we've all been going back over them, knowing you were coming here. “The sad loss of your really good friend and co-star, Prunella Scales, more recently. I wonder what your memories of working with her on Fawlty Towers were," Ben Shephard asked. John replied: "She was a star before anyone had ever heard of me. She was with Richard Briers in Marriages Lines. She was seven years older than me, and she was a big star and incredibly accomplished. She could do anything. "And when I was watching her in clips, the performance is so perfect... And if you just watch the way she plays, it's perfection. "The sad thing about our business is you work with people and get very close to them, and then you sometimes hardly see them again." John went on to talk about Prunella’s battle with vascular dementia, which she was diagnosed with in 2013, with her husband Timothy the first person to notice the symptoms . "I was sat next to her about ten years ago and I hadn't seen her for a bit, and she asked me the same question six times. "So, you answer the question, but you don't feel you've made proper contact. But the great thing was, she was lucky enough to be married to Timothy West, who was absolutely wonderful… “Watching her [in Fawlty Towers], everything she does is perfect. The only sad thing about it was they're almost all dead. I got a little depressed at one point,” John said. Since the series concluded after 12 episodes, stars Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Brian Hall, Ballard Berkeley and Andrew Sachs have all passed away in the ensuing years.
