Fawlty Towers star’s televised fight with Alzheimer’s has ‘given hope’

Timothy West has spoken of how glimpses of his wife’s struggle with Alzheimer’s during the pair’s televised canal trips have given hope to others affected by the disease.

The 83-year-old said it was “deeply saddening” to slowly say goodbye to his wife Prunella Scales, but that they had decided not to airbrush her illness from their popular waterways programmes.

The couples’s aquatic adventures on Channel 4’s Great Canal Journeys have delighted viewers for eight series. They depict a poignant journey through Britain’s soothing and 0 Timothy West: married to Prunella Scales for 54 years slow-paced canal network.

Mr West said: “At the very beginning we asked ourselves, ‘do we want to show this?’. But by then many people knew about her condition, so if we didn’t bring it up it would have been dishonest and unfair to Pru and to me.

“A lot of people do get in touch with me and say ‘I’ve got a wife or husband who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and you have given us hope’.”

The classical stage and TV actor has been married to Mrs Scales, best-known for her role as Sybil in Fawlty Towers, for 54 years. She was diagnosed almost two decades ago.

Mr West said he initially knew there was something wrong with her, but did not realise what it was.

Mrs Scales, now 85, made reference to her condition in penning the foreword to her husband’s new book. Multi-award-winning equity release specialist Age Partnership can help homeowners decide if equity release is right for them, how much they can release and what impact it could have on the size of their estate including their entitlement to means-tested benefits now, or in the future. Any money released, plus accrued interest would be repaid upon death, or moving into long-term care. Equity Release may involve a home reversion plan or a lifetime mortgage which is secured against your property. To understand the features and risks, ask for your personalised illustration. They provide initial advice for free and without obligation. Only if you choose to proceed and your case completes would a typical fee of 2.2% of the amount released be payable. You only continue to own your own home with a lifetime mortgage.