Prunella Scales dead: Beloved Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales dies aged 93

The actress died ‘peacefully at home’ in London on Monday, her sons Samuel and Joseph West have said.

She was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013 and her death comes 50 years on from when Fawlty Towers first appeared on screens.

Her seven-decade acting career saw her in multiple roles from the 1950s, including in 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines, before featuring as the wife of John Cleese's character Basil Fawlty, in two series of Fawlty Towers in 1975 and 1979.

Scales’s husband of 61 years, Timothy West, died in November of last year.

In a statement to the PA news agency, they 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.

“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.”

She is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

More to follow.