Prunella Scales dies: Who is her son Samuel West's playwright partner Laura Wade, do they have children?
Fawlty star Prunella Scales was married to actor Timothy West who predeceased her in November 2024.
When actor Timothy West passed away in November 2024, his children Samuel and Joseph, as well as daughter Juliet, shared a statement on X which read:
“After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father, Timothy West, died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening.”
“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife, Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.”
The family also added: “We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s hospital, Tooting, and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”
Following the death of Prunella Scales, her sons Samuel and Joseph West shared a statement to PA News that read: “Our darling mother Prunella Scales died peacefully at home in London yesterday.
"She was 93. Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home. She was watching Fawlty Towers the day before she died.
"Pru was married to Timothy West for 61 years. He died in November 2024.
"She is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
"We would like to thank all those who gave Pru such wonderful care at the end of her life: her last days were comfortable, contented and surrounded by love."
When his father Timothy West died last November, his actor Samuel West spoke to the Radio Times about the prospect of his first Christmas without him and said: “This is my first Christmas since Dad [Timothy West] passed. He’s the first close person to me I’ve ever lost.
“I don’t know what it’s going to feel like, except that there’s this big sucking minus in the middle of your tummy.”
Samuel West also told The Sunday Times that “It’s not a club you want to join too early, having a dead dad, but it is a club you want to join eventually. You want to have a dead dad because otherwise he sees you die, and that’s awful. And 58 and 90 … that’s pretty good going.”
When it comes to his personal life, Samuel West is in a relationship with playwright and screenwriter Laura Wade. She was born in Bedford but grew up in Sheffield.
According to her biography on Knight Hall Agency Ltd, “She is currently developing several feature films, including a major book adaptation with Blueprint Pictures, and is an executive producer and writer on Jilly Cooper’s Rivals for Disney+.
“Her National Theatre play HOME, I’M DARLING premiered at Theatr Clwyd in 2018 before playing at the National where it received rave reviews. HOME, I’M DARLING won the award for Best New Comedy at the 2019 Oliviers.”
According to reports, Laura Wade and Samuel West began a relationship in 2007 and reportedly separated briefly in 2007 before reuniting in 2011, their daughters were born in 2014 and 2017.