Actor Timothy West, who has appeared in soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders, as well as in many other stage and screen roles, has died at the age of 90 after a 60-year career

Timothy West has died at the age of 90.

The beloved stage and screen actor famously appeared in EastEnders, Coronation Street and other TV shows like Brass and Not Going Out. Timothy was married to Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales, with whom he appeared in their popular Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys.

Timothy died “peacefully in his sleep” on Tuesday (November 12), his children Samuel, Juliet and Joseph West announced in a statement issued by his agent. The heartfelt tribute shared on X, formerly Twitter, read: “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.”

West, who began his acting career in 1959, got his big TV break in 1975 with a role in Edward the Seventh. He went on to bag a role in the comedy drama Brass, where he played self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre.

In 1984, he was appointed CBE for his services to drama. In 2007, he appeared as the original Geoffrey Adams in Lee Mack’s BBC comedy, Not Going Out before being replaced by Geoffrey Whitehead.

In 2013, he played Eric Babbage, the rich fiancé of Gloria Price, in Coronation Street. He made his EastEnders debut the following year, where he was Shirley and Tina Carter’s father Stan Carter.

Timothy also enjoyed a distinguished career on the stage and a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Macbeth twice and King Lear four times. A member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he performed at the likes of the Old Vic and Piccadilly Theatre.

He was till busy in recent years, playing Jeremy Lister in Gentleman Jack between 2019 and 2022, and playing Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes. His final television acting credit came last year as Charles Usher in an episode of Sister Boniface Mysteries.

West was wed to actress Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 until 1961 – they welcomed daughter Juliet. In 1963, he married actress Prunella, who played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers.

The pair welcomed two sons, actor Samuel West and Joseph, who both appeared in two episodes of Great Canal Journeys.