Timothy West dead: Legendary actor and husband of Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales dies 'in his sleep' aged 90
11/13/2024 06:10 AM
LEGENDARY EastEnders actor Timothy West has died “in his sleep” aged 90.
Timothy was the husband of Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales, who he cared for after her dementia diagnosis in 2014.
He appeared in Coronation Street as Eric Babbage and in EastEnders as Stan Carter.
The actor was one of just a handful of stars to appear in the rival soaps, alongside Andrew Sachs and Denise Welch.
His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West said in a statement issued by his agent: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.
“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.
“We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”
In later life, between 2014 and 2019, the couple filmed Great Canal Journeys, a Channel 4 series celebrating their love of narrow boating.
Prunella was diagnosed with vascular dementia, a form of the disease caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, in 2014.
Timothy described her condition in his memoir Pru and Me.
He revealed he had consulted the couple’s GP about her memory a year before her diagnosis – but had been told not to worry.
Speaking to the BBC soon after the couple’s diamond wedding anniversary in 2023, he said: “Somehow we have coped with it and Pru doesn’t really think about it.”
