Samuel West, the son of Prunella Scales and late actor Timothy West, has opened up about how his mother is coping since his father’s death.
The beloved actor died peacefully earlier this month, aged 90, leaving behind his son and Scales, who suffers from dementia.
As the news of his father’s death became public, West revealed the family was overwhelmed with an “outpouring of love and respect” from fans.
The legions of fans paid tribute to the veteran actor’s glittering career on stage and screen, including four lauded portrayals of Shakespeare’s King Lear and his turn in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
However, West believed the work that best “summed up” his father was Great Canal Journeys – which the late actor hosted with his wife and Fawlty Towers star Scales.
The show followed the pair as they toured the canals and rivers in the UK and beyond, smiling through Scales’s struggles with vascular dementia after her diagnosis in 2014.
Timothy West and Prunella Scales with their son, Sam, in 1999.
PA
Speaking to RadioTimes, West described his parent’s heartwarming show as a “love story, tested by mum’s dementia”.
In the show, he believed their 61-year marriage was shown with all the charm, challenges and minor annoyances that go along with it.
West explained they were held together by “great cables of respect, companionship and love”.
The hugely popular Great Canal Journeys ran for 10 series’ but eventually came to an end in 2021.
West and Scales had been married for 61 years
Getty
Despite retiring from filming their journeys, the family still take to the waters.
Last month, West revealed in an interview with Lorraine Kelly that his mother had gone on a cruise.
West explained she enjoyed the trip but admitted he was “not sure if she knew where she was”.
Quoting his mother, West said: “‘I don’t always know where I’m going but I enjoy getting there’ and I thought if that is her philosophy, that might have to be mine as well.”
A successful actor in his own right, West does appear to follow that philosophy as he also enjoys sailing the canals.
Recognised because of his resemblance to his father, passing boaters regularly convey their best wishes to West’s mother and father; such was the impact of their beloved show.
— Samuel West 💙💛 (@exitthelemming) November 13, 2024
West’s outlook was also influenced by his father, who taught him that: “Touring this country, professionally or otherwise, is beautiful and we should all do more of it.”
The veteran actor encouraged his son to “lean in and love life in all its detail” and learn as much as he can, he detailed to RT.
