Timothy West has given an honest insight into how he and his wife Prunella Scales are dealing with their dementia a decade after being diagnosed.
The 88-year-old actor admitted that he really misses his wife’s “companionship and creative energy” as well as the brilliant ideas and parties she would love to go to.
The Coronation Street and Emmerdale star said that “most parties come to Pru these days” as they celebrated her birthday with a garden party last year.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, he said: “We had this amazing birthday party for her in June which we threw in the garden.” To mark their diamond wedding anniversary in October, “I think we’ll have another party.” They seem to be doing well. ‘
Timothy, who says he first noticed changes in his 91-year-old wife in 2001, says the disease is now “part of their lives” as they adapt to its needs.
Relationship: Timothy West has given a candid insight into how he and his wife Prunella Scales are dealing with their dementia a decade after being diagnosed (pictured 2023)
Grand canal trips: The 88-year-old actor, who says he first noticed changes in his wife, 91, in 2001, says the illness is now “part of their lives” as they adapt to her needs
Timothy insists that the couple “cope” with Prunella’s dementia and get help in the form of a carer from Zimbabwe named Catherine.
Prunella, best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, ended her 67-year acting career in early 2020 following her diagnosis.
The couple, who starred together in Great Canal Journeys, were asked to film a series after Pru’s health deteriorated and the couple spoke privately about her condition without the public noticing.
But Timothy and Pru decided to end their fight and still film the series and let viewers take part in their everyday lives.
Prunella and Timothy were forced to quit their Channel 4 TV show Great Canal Journeys in January 2020 due to their failing health.
Timothy said: “We thought, well, come on, it’s part of our lives and we should just say how we get on with it – and we get on with it.” Admittedly with the help of carers who “help a lot”.
He continued: “We’re not saying ‘Oh, this is it’, you can move on and it actually wasn’t too difficult.” We realize that Pru can no longer remember things the way she did , and we would have to remind them of things and people. And that’s okay, because especially when you get to our age, you can’t remember everything.”
Timothy gave an insight into a typical day for the couple and revealed that Pru loves to sleep a lot and often retreats to bed to “snooze” after eating breakfast together.
However, the actress is still an entertainer and Timothy says she enjoyed a birthday party and attended three proms over the summer.
Coping: Timothy insists that the couple “cope” with Prunella’s dementia and get help in the form of a caregiver from Zimbabwe named Catherine
Career: Prunella, best known for her role as Sybil Fawlty (pictured) in Fawlty Towers, ended her 67-year acting career in early 2020 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014
Brave: However, Timothy and Pru decided to end their argument and decided to film the series anyway and let viewers share their everyday lives (pictured together in 1986’s “When We Were Married”).
The couple, who “fell in love over crossword packets of Polo mints”, first addressed Pru’s condition after she struggled with her lines on stage in the early noughties.
Timothy explained that Pru, who appeared in 2003’s A Woman of No Importance, relied on “idiot boards” to get through the show.
It was only ten years later that they received a formal diagnosis and he explained that the progression of their disease had “taken a very long time”.
Her Fawlty Towers co-star Andrew Sachs died in 2016, just four years after doctors diagnosed him.
However, Timothy is very humble about his experience caring for Pru and admitted that the illness has not made him more patient.