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Tributes are continuing to pour in to Prunella Scales after her death was announced. Best known for playing Sybil in Fawlty Towers , the actress’ family confirmed on Tuesday morning (October 28) she had passed away at the age of 93. Prunella’s sons Samuel and Joseph said their beloved mum died ‘peacefully at home in London’ on Monday (October 27). A statement to the PA news agency said: “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 work as the long-suffering wife of Basil Fawlty is held in lofty regards, with this year marking 50 years since the comedy show first appeared on screens. Outside of her work on Fawlty Towers, Prunella played Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s A Question of Attribution and, in 1973, Scales teamed up with Ronnie Barker in the series Seven Of One, also for the BBC . Sadly, Prunella had been diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013. In his memoir Pru And Me: A Love Story, Prunella’s husband Timothy West, who died in November 2024, spoke about when he began to worry about his wife’s health. “I didn’t really know anything about Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. But I was aware that something was bothering Pru when I saw her perform on stage at Greenwich Theatre in 2001," he told Alzheimer's Society “Always a consummate professional who knew all her lines, I noticed that she was grappling for some of the script. Whatever was wrong, I knew we should probably get a medical opinion about it. “It wasn’t until 2013 that Pru was actually diagnosed with vascular dementia. I don’t recall us being pushed towards any specific treatment or support. Now I feel that, if we had been, it may have helped us. But, at the time, it was very much 'carry on and deal with it as best you can'." Timothy added at the time: “We also didn’t want the diagnosis to be the defining thing about us, as we both continued to work in theatre, television, film and radio. And although Pru has now stepped back from acting, she has contributed to the audio version of a book I’ve written about our relationship, 'Pru and Me'." With the couple married since 1963, Timothy spoke to NI Age in a separate interview about the importance of living a normal life in spite of her diagnosis. “While Pru and I still go to the theatre, she doesn’t remember anything about it afterwards. It’s not possible to have the sort of conversations we used to have. We live for the moment. I find thinking about the past unhelpful, but it’s OK to be in the present because, from day to day, I don’t really notice any deterioration,” he noted. Prunella candidly added: “I’m sure it can be boring for Tim because he used to live with this person who had a very quick mind and a good memory, and now it takes me a bit of time.” Shortly after her diagnosis, Prunella and Timothy began working on the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys, which ran from 2014 until 2021 and saw them set off on an adventurous expedition to discover different canals throughout Europe and Britain. “She can’t remember things very well. But you don’t have to remember things on the canal. You can just enjoy things as they happen – so it’s perfect for her,” Timothy previously told the Daily Mail. He continued: “We’ve always just kept busy and kept doing the things that make us happy. Pru still enjoys concerts and plays, although she may forget what she’s seen by the time we’ve left. We do what we can. “The sad thing, perhaps, is that we don’t talk very much about the shows afterwards, not like we used to. We might discuss how brilliantly it was played but don’t analyse it in detail any more. Conversations are different – not necessarily worse.”
