Timothy West's heartache over Prunella Scales' dementia battle: 'Lost my best friend'
Timothy West, who tragically passed away this week at the age of 90, opened up about his relationship with his wife Prunella Scales a year before his passing.
Timothy West opened up about his wife’s Prunella Scales condition after she was diagnosed with dementia.
This comes after the news of the actor’s passing on Wednesday, November 13, which has left fans in shock. West is said to have died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by friends and family at the age of 90.
Last year, the EastEnders star opened up about how much he longed for the friendship and companionship he once shared with Prunella, as she coped with dementia.
West was married to actress, best known for her role as Sybil in Fawlty Towers, for more than 50 years.
In 2014, he revealed that Scales had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Following the diagnosis, the couple appeared together for six years on the Channel 4 travel programme Great Canal Journeys.
The star admitted that he had lost his "best friend." He told Saga Exceptional: “Now that her condition has worsened, I miss Pru’s companionship as my best friend.” West said that a “a lot of time” is spent reassuring his 91-year-old wife, who he tied the knot with in 1963, about where she is and where he is.
He added: “Pru doesn’t have much awareness of time so when she joins me in the living room, her face lights up as if we’ve been apart for days.
“The look on her face makes me realise how much I love her.”
West said his wife’s “prognosis is not that cheerful” before adding: “She seems to manage incredibly well with things, as I try to, but surely she must sometimes wonder whether she is going to be allowed to end her days in this house that has been so dear to us.
“Not recognising me hasn’t been a problem but it will come, I’m sure.”
Fans are now mourning the loss of the actor, who has passed away suddenly this week. He was well-known for his roles in both television and theatre, including in beloved soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.
Timothy's children—Juliet, Samuel, and Joseph West—shared the news of his passing in a statement that read: "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 great-grandchildren. 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."
