Actor Samuel West has spoken emotionally about losing both his parents within a year, during an episode of his Channel 5 series 'Sam and Ade Go Birding'. In the final instalment, filmed at the Somerset Levels, West discussed the deaths of his father, Timothy West, and mother, Prunella Scales, while travelling with his co-star Adrian Chiles.
West, 58, revealed that he had grown a moustache for his role as Malvolio in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of 'Twelfth Night', a character he has played twice before. 'I've played him twice, once when my dad died and once when my mum died. He got me through a tough year,' he said. The actor had the moustache trimmed by Chiles in the car.
Timothy West died in 2024 at the age of 90 from a subdural haematoma following a fall. His mother, Prunella Scales, known for playing Sybil Fawlty in 'Fawlty Towers', died a year later in 2025 at 93 after a long battle with vascular dementia. Both were celebrated actors, with Timothy West earning a BAFTA nomination for 'Edward the Seventh' and appearing in 'Coronation Street' and 'EastEnders'.
West shared the last meaningful conversation he had with his mother, recalling that she asked her age and, upon being told she was 91, responded with a perfectly timed expletive. 'It was beautifully timed, beautifully enunciated,' he said. 'I mean, we had a few more conversations after that, but that may be the last one I remember.'
