Prunella Scales, Fawlty Towers star, dies at 93

Prunella Scales, the English actor best known for playing Sybil Fawlty in the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers, has died at the age of 93, her sons Samuel and Joseph said. The family said she died peacefully at home in London on Monday, and that she had been watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.

In a statement, her sons said, "Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday. She was 93." They added that although vascular dementia forced her retirement from a career that spanned nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home and her last days "were comfortable, contented and surrounded by love." Scales is survived by two sons, a stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her husband of 61 years, actor Timothy West, died in November 2024.

Scales rose to national prominence across two series of Fawlty Towers between 1975 and 1979, playing Sybil, the sharp-tongued wife of hotel owner Basil Fawlty. The series won the British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy in 1976 and this year marked 50 years since the sitcom first appeared on screens. Her portrayal of Sybil, noted for its domineering presence and outspoken...