The world of British comedy is mourning the loss of Prunella Scales, the beloved actress best known as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. She passed away peacefully at home in London at the age of 93. Her sons, Samuel and Joseph, said, “Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home yesterday,” adding that she had been watching Fawlty Towers the day before she passed.

Scales had been living with vascular dementia since 2013. Her husband, actor Timothy West, who died last year, once said that despite her memory fading, “her humor and kindness remained intact.”

Born in Surrey in 1932, Scales enjoyed a career spanning nearly 70 years. She first gained recognition in The Marriage Lines, but her role as the sharp, commanding Sybil in Fawlty Towers made her a household name. Her iconic shout of “BASIL!” became one of the most quoted moments in British TV history.

Beyond comedy, she earned a BAFTA nomination in 1991 for A Question of Attribution and later appeared with her husband in Great Canal Journeys, charming audiences with their warmth and humor.

Tributes praised her as “a national treasure” and “an inspiration.” Her laughter and legacy will forever remain part of British comedy history.