All Creatures Great and Small's Samuel West shares heartfelt update on mum Prunella Scales' health

All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West has shared an update on his mother Prunella Scales' health battle as she continues to battle dementia

Samuel West, the esteemed actor from All Creatures Great and Small, has given fans a poignant update about his mother Prunella Scales's ongoing battle with dementia. During a heartfelt conversation on Lorraine Kelly's morning show, the 58 year old, who portrays Siegfried Farnon, opened up about his legendary actress mum's condition alongside his co-star Anna Madeley.

Prunella, famed for her role as the formidable Sybil Fawlty in the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, has been living with dementia since 2014. When asked by Lorraine how his parents were faring, Samuel responded: "They're fine, they're fine."

He then tenderly remarked: "My mother went on a cruise the other day, I'm not sure if she knew where she was."

To which Lorraine empathetically replied: "It doesn't matter."

Samuel continued to share his mother's positive outlook, saying: "But she enjoyed getting there. She said: 'I don't always know where I'm going but I enjoy getting there' and I thought if that is her philosophy, that might have to be mine as well.", reports the Mirror.

Despite officially retiring from her astonishing 67-year acting career in early 2020, Prunella has confirmed she remains passionate about her work, maintaining her venerable dedication to the arts.

Her portrayal of Sybil Fawlty alongside John Cleese's Basil Fawlty is still celebrated as part of one of the most highly regarded British comedy series of all time, with Fawlty Towers leaving an indelible mark with its two unforgettable series broadcasted in 1975 and 1979.

Prunella Scales has admitted that not working would make her "very depressed."

and that her "memory is less good". In a frank interview with The Times, she said: "If we're out of work, we get very depressed. As one gets older, one's memory and living from minute to minute changes, doesn't it? You get less efficient."

She continued: "My memory is less good. I mean, I forget to do things and, that's age, the same as everybody else."

Prunella has recently returned to her lifelong role as Queen Victoria, recording new voiceovers for a reprisal at Tabard studio theatre in west London.

She first portrayed Queen Victoria over 44 years ago in An Evening with Queen Victoria, which premiered in London and toured globally until 2007.