Actor Timothy West has died at the age of 90 and EastEnders has paid tribute to the star known for his presence as the patriarch of the Carter family

EastEnders has paid a special tribute to actor Timothy West after it was confirmed he has passed away aged 90.

Taking to social media, the official account for the BBC soap wrote: “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’s death was confirmed in a statement by his children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, which was issued by his agent. It 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.”

Timothy took on the part of Danny Dyer’s character Mick’s dad/grandad on the hit BBC soap. He also featured on rival soap Coronation Street as well as iconic series such as Not Going Out and Dad’s Army. He was also a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2016 and 2002.

He performed at the Piccadilly Theatre, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the West End. There, he portrayed a number of classic roles, such as Shylock, Falstaff, and Macbeth. In their own tribute to Timothy on Twitter/X, the Royal Shakespeare Company penned: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Timothy West We would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to Timothy’s family and friends – in particular to his wife Prunella and children, including Samuel, who is an Associate Artist and will play Malvolio in Twelfth Night.”

Timothy was married to fellow actor Prunella Scales for 61 years. In his final years, he took care of his beloved wife, who tragically struggled to remember most of their loving marriage. In 2014, she was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014. However, Timothy admitted he had noticed the signs back in 2001 after going to see her in a theatre production.

After speaking to Piers Morgan for his Life Stories series, the presenter revealed: “He’s her main carer. He’s been utterly fantastic. “But you could see total sadness etched on his face that they can’t now share all the stuff they have shared, because she can only remember parts of it.” After being together for six decades, the actor opened up about their future and Prunella’s condition in a rare interview in November 2023, where he confessed it “isn’t going to get better.”