John Cleese has spoken out for the first time since the death of his Fawlty Towers co-star Prunella Scales at the age of 93.
The actress’s death was announced on Tuesday and comes less than 12 months after her husband of 61 years, actor Timothy West, died in November 2024.
Her sons, Samuel and Joseph, confirmed their mother’s passing in a statement. The actress had been living with vascular dementia since her diagnosis in 2013, which eventually led to her stepping back from an acting career spanning almost seven decades.
Ms Scales became a British comedy icon through her portrayal of the sharp-tongued Sybil Fawlty opposite Mr Cleese’s hapless hotelier in the BBC sitcom.
Prunella Scales’s death was announced by her sons on Tuesday
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PADespite the programme’s brief run of just 12 episodes across two series in 1975 and 1979, her performance secured her place as a household name.
Reacting to the news of her death, Mr Cleese described his on-screen wife as “a really wonderful comic actress.”
In his statement, he went on to applaud her acting abilities, adding: “Scene after scene she was absolutely perfect.”
Meanwhile, Ms Scales’ family’s statement read: “Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday. She was 93.
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“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home.”
In a poignant detail, they shared: “She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.”
The statement continued: “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.”
Her sons expressed gratitude for those who cared for their mother: “We would like to thank all those who gave Pru such wonderful care at the end of her life: her last days were comfortable, contente,d and surrounded by love.”
Fawlty Towers earned a Bafta for best scripted comedy in 1976, with this year marking half a century since its debut.
Ms Scales reflected on the role’s enduring appeal in 2000, when the programme topped a poll as Britain’s greatest television show: “It is wonderful how it has not dated. I am very proud of Sybil and grateful to her. I still get the odd repeat cheque, which helps to pay for my work in the theatre.”
The actress first encountered her husband, Timothy West, in 1961 whilst both were performing in the television production She Died Young. Mr West was then married to actress Jacqueline Boyer.
Despite her illness, Ms Scales continued performing, appearing alongside her husband in the television series Great Canal Journeys from 2014 to 2021.
John Cleese starred opposite Scales in Fawlty Towers
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GETTYBeyond Fawlty Towers, her extensive career included a Bafta nomination for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s A Question of Attribution in 1991.
She performed in countless theatrical productions, earning two Olivier Award nominations, and maintained her celebrated one-woman show An Evening with Queen Victoria for over two decades.
