Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

Actress Prunella Scales, 81, has been diagnosed with ‘mild Alzheimer’s’.

Best-known for her role of Sybil in Fawlty Towers, is typically defiant over her diagnosis declaring it would not stop her from acting and that she hoped to die on stage ‘playing a reasonably good part’ during her ‘eighth curtain call’.

The actress, CBE, was BAFTA award-nominated in 1991 for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution by Alan Bennett.

She was famously close friends with the late actor Richard Briers who she supported while he battled emphysema.

She admitted last year that she struggled with her day-to-day memory and could not remember whether she had made herself a coffee.

Speaking about Miss Scales’ diagnosis, Dr Alison Cook of the Alzheimer’s Society said: “The Alzheimer’s Society would like to thank Timothy West for speaking out about his wife Prunella Scales’ dementia and raising awareness of the condition.  

Their recent adventure navigating Britain’s canals shows that it is possible to live well with dementia and plan to carry on enjoying life.  

We would urge anyone who is concerned about themselves or a loved one to speak to their GP today or contact Alzheimer’s Society for advice and support.”

There is hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s as Spain has started testing a vaccination on humans, read about it here