On 25 October 1979, the final episode of Fawlty Towers was broadcast, signalling the end of a much-loved sitcom.
Despite only running for two seasons and comprising just 12 episodes, Fawlty Towers remains a cornerstone of British television.
From 1976 to 1979, BBC audiences were treated to the comedic exploits of stern hotel proprietor Basil Fawlty, brought to life by John Cleese.
Viewers quickly became engrossed in Basil’s misadventures, with regular characters such as his wife Sybil, waiter Manuel, and chambermaid Polly also taking centre stage.
Last year, comedy enthusiasts were delighted when it was announced that the show would be revived by John Cleese and his real-life daughter Camilla, who will also appear in the series.
As the show prepares to make its comeback, we’re exploring what the original cast has been up to, 45 years after the series concluded.
While John was the lead character in Fawlty Towers as Basil Fawlty, he had already enjoyed a successful career, having starred in Monty Python among others.
After the show ended, the now 84-year-old continued to enjoy a prosperous acting career, featuring in A Fish Called Wanda, James Bond, Charlies Angles and Harry Potter.
In his personal life, John married his first wife Connie Booth, who also featured in Fawlty Towers, in 1968. They welcomed their daughter Cynthia Cleese three years later.
John Cleese’s personal life has been marred by divorce, with his first marriage ending in separation. He then wed Barbara Trentham in 1981 and they welcomed a daughter, Camilla, in 1984.
However, that marriage also ended and he went on to marry American psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger, a union that lasted 16 years before they parted ways. He has been married to Jennifer Wade since 2012.
Cleese has continued to be a prominent figure, often expressing his views on “woke” culture. In 2022, he began presenting The Dinosaur Hour on GB News and frequently shares glimpses into his life on Instagram, including throwback videos from his career.
Prunella Scales, who played Basil’s wife Sybil in Fawlty Towers, continued to act after the show ended. Although she briefly reprised her role in a 2007 Children in Need sketch, her last credited acting role was in the 2014 short film Sub Rosa.
That same year, her husband Timothy West disclosed that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, effectively ending her acting career.
Regarding the Fawlty Towers reboot, it appears that Prunella’s character has been written out. According to John Cleese, the episode begins with Sybil’s death, just as Basil is about to deliver a eulogy for her.
He revealed: “Sybil dies and Basil goes to see his daughter because it was all part of a naughty affair that he once had with a guest at the hotel.”
Away from the spotlight, Prunella and her husband Timothy, whom she wed in 1963, have two children together – Samuel West and their youngest son Joseph.
It seems Samuel has followed in his mother’s acting footsteps, starring in shows such as Slow Horses and All Creatures Great and Small.
During a recent appearance on Lorraine, he revealed that his parents were both doing well, before commenting: “My mother went on a cruise the other day, I’m not sure if she knew where she was.”
Andrew Sachs’ lovable character Manuel, the bumbling Spanish waiter, captured the hearts of many.
After Fawlty Towers, he continued to act and was also known for his voice-over work. A fan of Coronation Street, Andrew landed a role in the ITV soap in 2009 as Ramsay Clegg, appearing in 27 episodes in total.
He also made appearances in Casualty and EastEnders. Sadly, Andrew was diagnosed with vascular dementia, which left him unable to speak and reliant on a wheelchair.
At the age of 86, he passed away in a care home, with his wife Melody Lang paying a heartfelt tribute. In 2016, she said: “My heart has been broken every day for a long time. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, he still worked for two years. We were happy, we were always laughing, we never had a dull moment. He had dementia for four years and we didn’t really notice it at first until the memory started going.
“It didn’t get really bad until quite near the end. I nursed Andrew, I was there for every moment of it. Dementia is the most awful illness that sneaks in in the night when you least expect it”.
Connie Booth, who played Polly Sherman, spent a decade married to John before their divorce in 1978, yet they continued to share the screen for Fawlty Towers’ final season.
Following the sitcom’s conclusion, the actress, who portrayed the chambermaid, made appearances in several productions, including The Deadly Game, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and Wizadora.
However, she eventually chose to leave acting behind and pursue an entirely new profession.
After five years of study at the University of London, Connie transitioned into a career as a psychotherapist.
It’s reported that she currently resides in London with her husband, John Lahr.