Timothy West discusses Prunella Scales’s ‘memory problem’

 Timothy West, 88, has opened up about his wife Prunella Scales’ battle with dementia.

Speaking to Saga Magazine, Timothy shared the challenges that the couple have faced following her diagnosis.

He said: “For someone like Pru with any form of progressive dementia, the prognosis is not that cheerful.

“But 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.”

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Prunella, 91, who is best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in the hit BBC comedy Fawlty Towers, was diagnosed with dementia in 2014.

Timothy also told the magazine: “There’s a lot of time you have to spend making sure Pru knows where she is and where I am. But we share a bed together, we get up, come downstairs, have breakfast and chat.”

Before going on to say: “Now that her condition has worsened, I miss Pru’s companionship as my best friend.”

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Timothy also spoke about how he misses visiting the theatre or concerts with his wife and discussing the performances afterwards, as her condition means she’s often forgotten who she’s seen.

However, he confirms the pair are still as happy as ever as he says: “Now we live life to the full but stay very much in the moment. 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.”

Timothy and Prunella married in 1963 after meeting on the set of a TV costume drama. The couple share two sons Sam West who is an actor, and Joseph West, a translator.

Prunella continued to work after her diagnosis, hosting the Channel 4 TV show, Great Canal Journeys, with her husband. She appeared in over 30 episodes of the show, which ran for 12 seasons over seven years.

In 2020, they were forced to quit the show due to her ailing health, with Celebrity Gogglebox duo Gyles Brandreth and Sheila Hancock taking over.

You can read the full interview with Timothy West on Saga Exceptional. 

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