John Cleese Honors Prunella Scales and Nicky Henson with Emotional Tribute

A Heartfelt Tribute to a Comedy Legend

John Cleese, the renowned comedian and actor, recently shared a series of nostalgic photos with his late Fawlty Towers co-stars Prunella Scales and Nicky Henson. This came after the passing of Prunella Scales, who died at the age of 93 following a long battle with dementia. Her husband, Timothy West, also a celebrated actor, passed away just under a year earlier at the age of 90. Meanwhile, Nicky Henson, who played Mr. Johnson in the iconic BBC comedy, had passed away in 2019.

On Thursday, John Cleese paid tribute to both of them by sharing images of the trio laughing together at an event. This followed his official tribute for Prunella on Tuesday. In his post, he wrote: "Two of my best departed comedy friends. Pru, who was already a star when I entered show business, and Nicky Henson, who shared dressing rooms with me on the first day I ever worked for the BBC, in 1966. #prunellascales #nickyhenson."

The post quickly garnered numerous messages from fans expressing their condolences. John led the tributes to Prunella right after her death was announced on Tuesday. He said: "How very sad. Pru was a really wonderful comic actress. I've recently been watching a number of clips of Fawlty Towers while researching a book. Scene after scene, she was absolutely perfect."

He added: "She was a very sweet lady, who spent a lot of her life apologizing. I used to tease her about it. I was very, very fond of her."

The Final Days of a Beloved Actress

Prunella Scales passed away "peacefully at home in London," according to a statement from her sons, Samuel and Joseph. They mentioned that she had been watching Fawlty Towers the day before her death. Their statement continued: "Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home."

Pru was married to Timothy West for 61 years. He passed away in November 2024. She is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. The family expressed gratitude to those who provided care during her final days, stating that her last days were comfortable, contented, and surrounded by love.

Legacy of a Comedy Icon

Fawlty Towers won the Bafta for best scripted comedy in 1976, and this year marked 50 years since the comedy show first appeared on screens. The series also starred the late Andrew Sachs as the hapless Spanish waiter Manuel and Cleese's then-wife Connie Booth as chambermaid Polly.

Prunella Scales was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013. She also played Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett's A Question Of Attribution, which earned her a Bafta nomination. In 1973, she teamed up with Ronnie Barker in the series Seven Of One, also for the BBC.

Her husband, Timothy West, starred in TV shows such as the comedy drama Brass, sitcom Not Going Out, and soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders. Together, the couple filmed 10 series of the Channel 4 programme Great Canal Journeys, which saw them travel across the UK and other parts of the world exploring different waterways. They also talked openly about Scales's diagnosis.

Their last journey for the programme was broadcast in June 2019. In 2023, the couple did a joint interview with BBC Breakfast, where Timothy spoke about first noticing signs of his wife's illness while she was performing on stage at the Greenwich Theatre in 2001.

Prunella's big career break came from starring in the early 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines, and she also featured in many BBC Radio 4 sitcoms.