Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Updated : October 28, 2025 5:38 PM IST
Popular actress Prunella Scales, who is known for her role in Fawlty Towers, has died at age 93, her family have confirmed. According to Scales' sons, Samuel and Joseph, the actress who played the role of a hotel manager in Sybil Fawlty and the bossy wife of Basil, in the classic British sitcom, passed away "peacefully at home in London yesterday"
The family members said that the veteran actress was watching Fawlty Towers on the day before she died. They further claimed that the 93-year-old actress was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013 and later succumbed to the medical condition, given her advanced age.
Her sons told a leading media outlet, "Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday. She was 93..." They added, "Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home...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."
Prunella Scales' husband, actor Timothy West, died in November last year. Currently, she is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Vascular dementia is a medical condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain which can make changes to memory and thinking, including one's behaviour. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the cognitive and brain function may be slighlty affected by the size, location and number of vascular changes.
According to the US health agency, the symptoms of vascular dementia can be benign initially but may suddenly appear and progress rapidly over time with noticeable improvement. This Medical condition can affect the way people behave, such as depression and restlessness.
Cognitive issues include thinking, memory issues, slow thinking, trouble finding words, organising thoughts and actions. Vascular dementia can affect people physically, such as an unsteady walk or poor balance, sudden or frequent need to urinate trouble controlling urine.
