Piers Morgan, Gyles Brandreth and James Dreyfus lead heartfelt celeb tributes to ‘marvellous’ actor Timothy West after legendary star died ‘peacefully’ aged 90

Piers Morgan, Gyles Brandreth and James Dreyfus led the heartfelt celebrity tributes to ‘marvellous actor’ Timothy West after it was announced he died aged 90.

Emotional messages have poured in on social media following the sad news the EastEnders star passed away. 

Timothy, who was married to fellow actor Prunella Scales for 61 years, ‘was surrounded by friends and family till the end’, his agent said in a statement on Wednesday. 

Piers, 59, shared tribute to the ‘wonderful’ man, alongside a photo with Timothy from when he appeared on My Life Stories.

He wrote: ‘A wonderful actor, and delightful man. My Life Stories interview with him, as the love of his life Prunella Scales sat in the audience, was so moving. 

‘They were married 61yrs, and his devotion to her after she developed Alzheimer’s was profoundly touching.’

James wrote on X: ‘Marvellous actor. A constant in many of our lives. He shall be much missed. My thoughts with his family. RIP Timothy West.’

Alongside a sweet picture of Timothy, Gyles Brandreth, 76, said: ‘Cheers, Tim! And thank you. A marvellous man – a marvellous actor, husband, father, friend. 

‘On stage, on screen, on a canal boat, on the end of a pier (he loved a seaside pier!), in the garden with a glass of wine, he was just the best. The great Timothy West has died at 90: what a worthwhile, well-filled life.’

Rev. Richard Coles also wrote: ‘Dearest Sam, my condolences to you and yours xxx’

His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West said in a statement issued by his agent: ‘After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.

‘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 greatgrandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.

‘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.’ 

EastEnders also paid tribute after the actor’s long incredible career on the soap, writing: ‘We are extremely saddened to hear that Timothy West has passed away. 

‘Timothy joined EastEnders as Stan and his presence as the patriarch of the Carter family was immediately felt. He will forever be in our hearts. We send all our love and thoughts to Timothy’s family and friends.’

Timothy enjoyed a prestigious career on the stage and on television, having starred in shows such as comedy drama Brass, sitcom Not Going Out and soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Timothy was married to fellow actress Prunella for more than 60 years, having tied the knot in 1963, 12 years before she played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, the role she is most known for.

Prunella and Timothy previously starred together in their own Channel 4 TV show, Great Canal Journeys, between 2014 and 2021, but were forced to quit after the actress was diagnosed with Dementia.

Prunella filmed her last show in October 2019, but the couple appeared in more than 30 episodes of the programme.

The show documented journeys Prunella and Timothy would take on narrowboats across Europe, Egypt and India, and were involved in campaigning to revive the Kennet & Avon Canal in the Eighties.

In an interview with The Daily Mail in 2023, Timothy revealed the heartache at seeing his wife slip away amid her battle.

He said: ‘The part I’ve always found the most challenging as a carer is remaining patient. It’s fair to say I’ve never been especially well-endowed in this department though I do try to keep everything in check.

‘Not just for Pru’s sake, who these days forgets it all in a trice, but for my own, and for the sake of those around us.

‘The thing I find especially frustrating is that she can actually understand perfectly everything I’m saying. She just can’t hear me very well.’

Timothy’s son Samuel West, 56, is also an actor and is a household name for his leading role in All Creatures Great and Small.

He was also married to actor Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, and they had a daughter, Juliet West.

In Brass he played ruthless self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre from 1982 to 1984 before returning for a third series in 1990, while in Not Going Out he played Geoffrey, the father of Lucy Adams, played by Sally Bretton.

In Coronation Street he appeared in seven episodes in 2013 as Eric Babbage, while in EastEnders he played Stan Carter from 2014 to 2015.

During his career West also played former British prime minister Winston Churchill three times, in From Churchill and the Generals (1979), The Last Bastion (1984), and Hiroshima (1995).

In 2019, the Bradford-born actor played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes, a recreation of three missing episodes of the BBC comedy Dad’s Army.

He was also a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2016 and 2002.