‘Fawlty Towers’ Star Passes Away After Long Illness

Prunella Scales, the beloved British actress best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, has died at the age of 93 after a long battle with vascular dementia. Her sons, Samuel and Joseph, confirmed that she passed away peacefully at home in London.

The actress had been diagnosed with dementia in 2014, which eventually ended her remarkable 67-year acting career. “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,” her sons said in a statement.

Prunella was married to fellow actor Timothy West for 61 years until his death in November 2024. She is survived by two sons, one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Her family expressed gratitude for the care she received in her final days.

“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,” they said.

Scales continued working and traveling well into her 90s. She gained fame playing Sybil Fawlty, the sharp-tongued wife of John Cleese’s Basil Fawlty, in the classic 1970s sitcom. The show ran for two series, in 1975 and 1979, and is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest comedy series. John Cleese paid tribute to her, calling her “a really wonderful comic actress” and adding, “Scene after scene she was absolutely perfect.”

Colleagues praised her professionalism despite her illness. Julian Machin, a stage manager on her earlier productions, told The Telegraph: “Although Prunella has vascular dementia, which greatly affects her in many ways, she absolutely retains longer-term memory of herself and her working experience.” He added to The Guardian, “It just took her back into herself. It was quite astonishing.”

Prunella was candid about her approach to playing queens. “I don’t [like playing queens]. When you say ‘like playing queens’ there aren’t any queens that I want to play. But the queens I have played have all been interesting people with interesting jobs and interesting lives. And that’s why I like playing them. I don’t like playing queens as such,” she told The Times in 2024.

Despite her iconic role, Prunella admitted she grew tired of being asked about Fawlty Towers. She began filming the sitcom at age 43 and reprised her role in a Children in Need special in 2007.

Signs of memory loss appeared in 2001 during a stage performance, and she was formally diagnosed in 2013. Her husband later reflected on the impact of the disease, saying, “The sad thing is that you just watch the gradual disappearance of the person that you knew and loved and were very close to.”

Even with dementia, Prunella appeared on the travel series Great Canal Journeys with her husband, sharing her experiences openly until 2019. Timothy West noted in a 2023 BBC interview that “Somehow we have coped with it and Pru doesn’t really think about it.”

Prunella Scales leaves behind a legacy of laughter, unforgettable performances, and decades of dedication to acting. Her career touched theatre, radio, film, and television, and she will be remembered as one of Britain’s most cherished actresses.

Her passing marks the end of an era for British comedy, but her work continues to entertain and inspire. What are your favorite Prunella Scales moments? Share them in the comments.