Fawlty Towers stars today from new ventures to health struggles and cherished memories

Fawlty Towers, which originally aired on BBC Two, is one of the UK's top sitcoms and almost 50 years since the show first aired, the cast have gone on to experience a lot

Fawlty Towers is marking its 49th anniversary as one of Britain's most cherished sitcoms.

The iconic series, which first graced the screens on BBC Two from 1975 to 1979, was the brainchild of John Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth. Spanning two series, it depicted the chaotic goings-on at a dysfunctional hotel in the coastal town of Torquay, Devon.

At the heart of the show were the uproarious escapades of hotel proprietor Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, chambermaid Polly, and the hapless Spanish waiter Manuel. The inspiration for the series struck John Cleese following a memorable stay at a Devon hotel, where he met an extraordinarily peculiar hotelier.

Fawlty Towers has been showered with awards, including a British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy. It achieved the pinnacle of acclaim when it was voted number one in the British Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes in the year 2000.

Fast forward to February 2023, and fans are abuzz with the news of a sequel series featuring John Cleese and his daughter Camilla, currently in the works. Nearly half a century since we first met the unforgettable characters, the original cast members have journeyed far and wide.

Here's the latest on the Fawlty Towers stars today.

At 84 years young, John Cleese continues to embark on fresh endeavours. His recent role was in Roman Polanski's drama 'The Palace', released in 2023.

In October the same year, he began hosting 'The Dinosaur Hour' on GB News.

While speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he cautioned that GB News viewers "may not be used to hearing the sort of things I'll be saying" but expressed his desire to foster "proper argument".

The beloved star has found a surprising new affection in the shape of his daughter's rescue dog, Harry. Taking to Instagram, he shared several videos with the charming pooch and expressed his fondness by saying: "I adore him."

Despite this new love, he remains committed to his wife, Jennifer Wade.

Elsewhere, acting legend Prunella Scales, 92, known famously as Sybil Fawlty, has remarkably defied her decade-long battle with dementia by returning to the stage as Queen Victoria at the Edinburgh Festival in a captivating new play entitled 'Queen'. Providing a voiceover for an older Victoria, she works in tandem with two other actresses portraying the monarch's younger years.

Her outstanding effort was noted by Julian Machin, a stage manager from the original production, who told The Telegraph: "Although Prunella has vascular dementia, which greatly affects her in many ways, she absolutely retains longer-term memory of herself and her working experience."

She continues her life journey alongside her husband, actor Timothy West.

Connie Booth, now 83, famously turned away from acting in 1995 to pursue a career in psychotherapy after studying at the University of London and continued until her retirement. Residing in North London, she enjoys a quiet life with her second husband, John Lahr, a renowned author and former drama critic.

In May 2024, Booth made a nostalgic visit to the Fawlty Towers stage play, meeting with the cast and having a moment with Victoria Fox, the theatre performer who took on her iconic role in the West End adaptation.

Andrew Sachs, who played the iconic Manuel in Fawlty Towers, had a few dramatic experiences while filming the show.

During the making of "The Germans", a fire stunt went awry, leaving him with second-degree burns.

On another occasion, Sachs suffered a severe headache due to being struck by a faulty prop during the filming of John Cleese's scenes.

The actor sadly died in November 2016, at the age of 86, having been previously diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012, which tragically left him wheelchair-bound and unable to speak.

Brian Hall, who played the role of the hotel chef, developed a strong friendship with his co-star John Cleese.

Years after Fawlty Towers concluded, Cleese sent Hall a signed photograph as a lighthearted jest.

Amusingly, Hall responded by playfully demanding a "signed Rolls-Royce car" instead, to which Cleese replied by sending him a toy car.

Sadly, he died in 1997 at the age of 59. Hall had battled cancer for three years.

A year before his death, he told the Mirror: "Cancer is a bully and I hate bullies. This old boy cancer will get about as much change out of me as all the other bullies I've met nothing."

Actress Renee Roberts, known for her portrayal of Miss Ursula Gatsby, married twice first to actor Ronald Frankau and later to Eric P Pattison. Notably, their daughter, Rosemary Frankau, also pursued a career in acting. She died in February 1996 at the age of 87.

Gilly Flower, who played Miss Abitha Tibbs and began her career as a model, stepped away from acting in 1991. She passed away in February 2001 at the age of 92.

Ballard Berkeley played Major Gowen. Ballard, who became an iconic figure for Hampshire Cricket Club posthumously in the early 2020s due to a celebrated scene from 'Fawlty Towers' where he exclaimed, "Hampshire won!" a clip the club would famously share on X (formerly known as Twitter) after each triumphhas been fondly remembered for his final role as the Head of the Army in the animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'The BFG'.

Passing away at the age of 83 in London back in January 1988, Ballard did not see the film's release which occurred the year after his death.