Fawlty Towers’ Connie Booth shares touching tribute to “national figure” Prunella Scales with profound anecdotes

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Connie Booth, who co-created and starred in the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, has released a heartfelt message following the passing of her longtime co-star, Prunella Scales, who died this week.

Prunella Scales portrayed Sybil Fawlty, the determined and assertive wife of Basil (John Cleese) and partner in running their hotel. She starred alongside Sally Booth, who played Polly Sherman, a practical and reliable waitress and housekeeper.

The actress lived with vascular dementia for over ten years and passed away on Monday at the age of 93. Her husband, Timothy West, also an actor, died late last year.

Booth shared the following statement with TopMob:

We were incredibly fortunate to have Prunella Scales. Her portrayal of Sybil made her a beloved character known throughout the country. She was a remarkably talented actress, and everything about Sybil’s distinctive appearance – from the large, styled hair and long nails to her unique way of speaking – was entirely her own creative contribution.

She was very small, especially with those high heels, and had a delicate figure. The difference in their sizes – her being so petite compared to John – created a striking visual contrast, almost like a perfectly composed stage scene.

Despite her small stature, she possessed a striking presence that made her words incredibly impactful, like when she famously said, ‘When I married you, I expected a husband, not a nervous wreck in a necktie.’

We all enjoyed working together, but we didn’t really hang out outside of filming. I remember calling Prunella about a script change and she sounded very unwell. When I asked if she was alright, she let out a small laugh and explained she’d been crying all afternoon because her husband, Tim West, had left that morning to work on a film for eight weeks. I felt really sorry for her.

We had a surprisingly intimate conversation. I was a little shocked, because it felt so different from the cheerful, simple explanation she’d given in the newspapers about why she and her husband stayed married – she’d said they just enjoyed each other’s company and neither of them knew how to cook!

Prunella was a truly unforgettable performer. It’s a sad twist that she eventually lost her memory, but even facing that challenge, she could find humor and joy. As she put it, ‘I may not remember everything, but I can still laugh.’

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2025-10-29 14:37