Comment: Prunella Scales, a national treasure who will be sorely missed
The passing of Prunella Scales at the age of 93, almost a year following the death of her husband Timothy West, is a cause for great sadness.
To millions of fans, she will always be Sybil Fawlty, the overbearing wife of hapless hotelier Basil. Time and again, the sitcom has been voted the greatest sitcom of all time, and its enduring popularity 50 years since it was first screened is in no small part down to her superb acting skills and memorable double act with John Cleese.
Yet viewers got to see a very different side to the actress when she and her husband took to the waterways of the world in Great Canal Journeys. Her openness about how the onset of dementia was affecting her life turned what otherwise might have been a forgettable series into something truly special, and educated viewers about a condition which will touch millions of people.
The phrase 'national treasure' is often overused, but in her case it feels almost like an understatement.
Rest in peace Sybil. We'll miss you.
