Remembering acting legend Prunella Scales's classic Coronation Street role following her death aged 93
The actress was in some of the soap's earliest episodes.
It was announced yesterday that comedy icon Prunella Scales – known for her role as Sybil Fawlty in sitcom Fawlty Towers – has passed away.
In a statement released by her sons Samuel and Joseph West to the PA news agency, they said: "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."
They continued: "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."
Throughout her 67 year career she played a wealth of different roles, from starring as Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution to Irene in BBC Radio 4's Ladies of Letters. More recently she travelled the waterways with husband Timothy during 10 seasons of Great Canal Journeys.
But did you know that one of her earliest parts was in Coronation Street?
In 1961, Scales took to the cobbles as Weatherfield bus conductor Eileen Hughes.
First appearing in episode 13, Eileen arrived at the Corner Shop looking for her colleague Harry Hewitt (Ivan Beavis), much to the amusement of Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), who had clocked shopkeeper Florrie Lindley's (Betty Alberge) own infatuation towards him.
Eileen claimed that she had to return a parcel to him, but he was reluctant to play into her advances.
The following month, she showed up at the Rovers during a darts match, her appearance putting Harry off his technique and jeopardising the competition.
A few weeks later, she interrupted his birthday dinner date with Florrie, and after handing him a present, wasn't seen again.
This wouldn't be the last time that Scales would venture into soapland, starring as Jocelyn Anderson in a 2004 episode of Casualty and, the following year, as Hattie Dymchurch in Where The Heart Is.
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