Prunella Scales through the years and with husband Timothy West.
Credit: Samuel West X
Prunella Scales, the highly acclaimed and much-loved British actress immortalised as the sharp-tongued Sybil Fawlty in the sitcom Fawlty Towers, has passed away at the age of 93.
Her sons, Samuel and Joseph West, announced her death in a heartfelt statement, revealing she died peacefully at home on Monday, October 27, after watching episodes of the show the day before.
Prunella Scales, AKA “Sybil”, said to be watching Fawlty Towers just day before passing
“Our darling mother, Prunella Scales, died peacefully at home in London yesterday,” the statement read. “She was 93. Although dementia had 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.”
Scales’ portrayal of Sybil, the domineering yet affectionate wife to John Cleese’s bumbling and snobby Basil Fawlty, created her place in television history. The BBC series, which aired just 12 episodes between 1975 and 1979, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of British comedy and the most translated TV show in history and won the British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy and is often called “the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged.” Set in a chaotic Torquay hotel, it showcased Scales’ impeccable timing and comedic perfection.
Prunella Scales prolific acting career
Born in 1932, Scales enjoyed a prolific career covering stage, screen, and radio. Early roles included a now-lost 1952 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. She later appeared in films such as Lord of Misrule (1996), Jane Austen’s Emma (1996), and Wolf (1994). On television, she starred in series like A Question of Attribution (1992), earning her a BAFTA nomination; After Henry; Mapp and Lucia; Smelling of Roses; and Ladies of Letters.
Theatre was a passion, with Scales performing Queen Victoria over 400 times in An Evening With Queen Victoria. Along with her husband, actor Timothy West, who died before her in November 2024 after 61 years of marriage, she presented 10 series of Channel 4’s Great Canal Journeys from 2014 to 2020, which charmed viewers with narrowboat adventures. The couple also featured on a series of Celebrity Gogglebox.
Diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013, Scales retired but remained active at home. Her family expressed gratitude for the care she received, saying her final days were “comfortable, contented and surrounded by love.” She is survived by two sons, a stepdaughter, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Scales’ legacy of being one of the finest actresses the UK has ever produced will last forever through her versatile performances and the absolute joy she brought to millions.
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