Probably best known for her role as long-suffering Sybil in the iconic sitcom Fawlty Towers; veteran British actress Prunella Scales is living with the challenges of dementia.
The 91-year-old actress was diagnosed with the condition in 2014, although her husband, actor Timothy West, had realised something was wrong as long ago as 2001.
Despite the couple’s daily battle, Timothy, 89, says nothing will dim the spark of their 61-year marriage. They still go to the theatre and concerts together, as it’s “important to continue to live”, he says.
Prunella starred alongside John Cleese as her husband, eccentric hotelier Basil Fawlty, in the cult BBC sitcom in the 1970s, with the role of Sybil being the best-loved of her long career.
She has never allowed her dementia diagnosis to impact her quality of life and was still working in television until 2019, when she finally retired.
Early life
Born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, in 1932 to John and Catherine Illingworth, her mother was an actress and at 19, Prunella followed suit.
First, she became assistant stage manager at Bristol’s Old Vic in 1951, but chose life in front of the camera, winning the role of Lydia Bennet in the 1952 television production of Pride and Prejudice.
In 1963, Prunella married fellow actor Timothy West in what was to become one of show business’s most enduring marriages.
Using the stage name Scales, her mother’s maiden name, she rose to fame starring opposite Richard Briers in the sitcom Marriage Lines, from 1963 to 1966, playing newlywed couple George and Kate Starling.
Fawlty Towers
Prunella became a household name when she starred opposite John Cleese in Fawlty Towers from 1975 to 1979. It topped the British Film Institute list of the 100 best British TV programmes in history.
Cleese co-wrote the show, basing the character of Basil on a hotelier he once met in real life. Prunella played Sybil Fawlty, the long-suffering wife of the erratic, frustrated social climber. She was more than a match for his manic behaviour and will always be remembered for her squawking cry of “Basil!” in a voice filled with venom after he had annoyed or upset her.
While Prunella’s career lasted more than six decades, she will always be linked to the character of Sybil, who tried to bring normality to the fictional hotel in Torquay.
Following Fawlty Towers, Prunella continued to enjoy a busy career in film, television and theatre. Her films included The Wicked Lady and A Chorus of Disapproval.
Timothy West and Prunella Scales starred together in the comedy farce, What the Butler Saw, in the BBC’s Theatre Night series in 1987.
In the 1990s, she starred in Jane Austen’s Emma and was the voice of Mrs Tiggywinkle in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends.
Dementia diagnosis
In the early 2000s, when Prunella’s stage career remained at its height, sadly, Timothy noticed changes in his wife’s behaviour. It was 2001, he was watching her perform on the opening night of a theatre production, when he realised something was wrong, later describing her as “not totally with it” and “a bit strange”.
She continued to act and famously reprised her role of Sybil Fawlty for Children in Need in November 2007, also appearing in many stage productions including Carrie’s War and Agatha Christie’s A Pocket Full of Rye.
Sadly, her health deteriorated over the years and in 2014, the couple publicly revealed Prunella’s diagnosis of vascular dementia. However, they refused to let it impact their quality of life, flying to India to film their new television documentary series, Great Canal Journeys.
It ran for ten series and the couple travelled all over the world, reporting on some of the great canal holiday destinations including Sweden, Scotland, France, Portugal, Argentina and Canada before Prunella retired in June 2019.
Prunella Scales health
While Prunella’s dementia has changed the couple’s life, they have a treatment plan in place, including making some lifestyle changes - although in an interview with Age UK in 2017, Prunella said she was no exception to the adage that actors “carry on till they drop”.
Timothy has described his wife’s condition as “pretty manageable” due to the medication and early detection, as its development has been relatively slow. She sometimes repeats what she has just said and has become forgetful, so Timothy says he is more patient. He still works as an actor and appeared as Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes in 2019.
The couple went public about living with dementia in a bid to help other people and raise awareness. Prunella joked that she retired only because she didn’t want directors to start saying, “Don’t employ Pru – she can’t remember anything!”
In an interview in October 2023, Timothy said going to concerts and the theatre was still a major part of their life. Although he and Prunella could no longer have in-depth discussions about the plays, as they had done in the past, they continued to do the things they had always enjoyed.
Timothy expressed sympathy for anyone who was finding living with dementia very challenging, whether it was their own health, a friend or a relative. He says a diagnosis shouldn’t define someone as a person. He has also written a book about some of the things he and Prunella have experienced, saying this has brought them closer together.
In November 2023, Timothy and Prunella were interviewed for BBC Breakfast. Smiling as she sat beside her husband, Prunella said, “He’s the person I love and enjoy being with.” Timothy said he “knew things were going to change” following the diagnosis, but added they “managed pretty well” and he had never thought, “Oh, no.”
Dementia care
People can face many challenges while looking after a person with dementia, whether it’s a loved one, or you’re a carer by profession.
Things can vary, depending on the stage of the condition. During the early stages, many people can continue to enjoy their life without many changes. However, over time, the symptoms can get worse and the person may become stressed, anxious and scared when they can’t remember things, concentrate or hold conversations.
The role of a carer for someone with dementia is to help them to maintain their skills so they can continue to enjoy a social life. This helps them to feel more confident in themselves. They may also need help with everyday tasks such as cooking and preparing food, shopping, taking the dog for a walk, gardening, washing and dressing, for example.
Carers can provide memory aids around the home, helping the person with dementia to remember where to find the things they need.
Working in the care sector means it’s important to maintain high standards of hygiene at all times to minimise the risks of infections. This can include protective gloves and aprons, using hand sanitiser and using effective and safe cleaning supplies.
A national treasure, Prunella Scales is a formidable lady, who continues to shine a more positive light on some of the many challenges of living with dementia.
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