British actress Prunella Scales, best known for playing the formidable Sybil Fawlty in comedy show 'Fawlty Towers', has died age 93, her sons said in a statement on Tuesday. She had been suffering from dementia.
Sybil was the wife of John Cleese's Basil Fawlty, in the show's two series made in 1975 and 1979. Set in a dysfunctional hotel in the seaside resort of Torquay, it became one of Britain's best-known comedies and was shown around the world.
It continues to be broadcast and referenced in popular culture now.
"Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday," her two sons said in a statement.
"She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died."
Scales was married to actor Timothy West for 61 years, who died last November.
Fawlty Towers was named as the greatest ever British TV sitcom by the Radio Times magazine in 2019. It was developed into a theatre production in Australia in 2016, and it moved to London's West End in 2024.
In the show, Sybil was often on the phone saying "Ooooh I knoooow", her braying laugh described by Basil's character as akin to "someone machine-gunning a seal".
Her seven-decade acting career included multiple roles from the 1950s, including in 1960s sitcom 'Marriage Lines'. She starred in the 1992 Oscar-winning film 'Howards End' alongside her son, the actor Samuel West.
In the 2010s, Scales and her husband travelled on their narrowboat in the 'Great Canal Journeys' TV series.
She was born in Surrey in 1932 and started her acting career at The Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Don...
IBM has warned that a surge in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure is weighing on its core business, in one of the clearest signs yet o...
President Ilham Aliyev has approved an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia on the supply of natural gas to Georgia, marking an...
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
IBM has warned that a surge in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure is weighing on its core business, in one of the clearest signs yet of how the AI boom is reshaping the technology sector.
President Ilham Aliyev has approved an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia on the supply of natural gas to Georgia, marking another step in energy cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
The United States has announced a campaign to weaken the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the tribunal as a threat to American sovereignty and signalling that further sanctions, visa restrictions and diplomatic pressure on allies could follow.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
President Ilham Aliyev is holding his annual question-and-answer session with international journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
An overnight fire at a popular bar in Bangkok has killed at least 30 people and injured 70 others, making it one of the deadliest pub disasters in the Thai capital in recent years. Authorities say the venue quickly filled with thick smoke, trapping patrons inside.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known internationally for his role in 'Jurassic Park', died suddenly on Monday aged 78 after recovering from cancer, his family said.
Uzbekistan has approved a new film rebate programme offering foreign productions up to 4 billion soums (around U.S.$315,000) in reimbursement as it seeks to attract international filmmakers and boost tourism through cinema.
More than 100 countries now spend more on servicing debt than on education, UNESCO has warned, as it called on governments and international lenders to expand the use of debt-for-education swaps.
The Welsh rock singer Bonnie Tyler, best known for the global hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart," has died aged 75 in Portugal.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is set to become one of 2026’s biggest films, bringing Homer’s ancient epic to life with a $250 million budget. From real ships and thousands of extras to heated debates over casting choices, here are 10 facts about the ambitious adaptation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment