Samuel West revealed he was preparing for the day His mother, Prunella Scales, who has dementia, may not remember him or her family very quickly.
The 56-year-old actor plays Siegfried Farnon in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special, where Skeldale House during the Second World War will hold festive celebrations with a young evacuee.
Samuel announced that he will join the show on December 24 with his actress mother Prunella (90) and father, actor Timothy (88).
Prunella and her husband Timothy married in 1963. They were married for 12 years before she played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, the role for which she is best known.
Reflecting on his parents’ relationship, Sam said: “I think he misses them a lot. It’s tough. He lost his best friend’s wit and camaraderie.”
Family: Samuel West discussed his mother Prunella Scales’ dementia diagnosis and says there will come a day she won’t remember him
Despite Sam’s mother’s dementia, which started about 15 years ago and left her with no short-term memory, Sam says that for now Prunella will be able to watch and enjoy the episode and recognize her son.
But Sam knows the day will come when his mother won’t be able to remember him or her family, telling the Mirror: “I suppose that day will come soon, I don’t know.”
He said his mother – who he described as “pretty cheerful, pretty sunny” – would probably be cool with his performance in All Creatures Great and Small, while his father might be jealous that he’s not there.
Sam also said his mother had a picture of him about 10 years ago, shocked that he was no longer blonde and amazed at how tall he was.
The 56-year-old actor plays Siegfried Farnon in Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special, which features festive celebrations at Skeldale House.
Prunella and Timothy were forced to end their TV show Great Canal Journeys on Channel 4 in January 2020 due to ill health.
The legendary actress filmed her last show in October 2019, but the two have appeared in more than 30 episodes of the show.
The show documented journeys that Prunella and Timothy would and did make on narrow boats across Europe, Egypt and India was involved in campaigns to revive the Kennet & Avon Canal in the 1980s.
Prunella and her husband Timothy were forced to end their Channel 4 TV show Great Canal Journeys (pictured on the show) in January 2020 due to ill health.
On the show, she said: “I don’t always know where I’m going, but I always enjoy getting there,” Sam shared wisdom with the Mirror.
Despite her condition, Prunella is still cheerful and sunny, but things have been difficult for her husband.
In a 2015 interview with The Independent, Tim revealed his heartbreak when he saw his wife slip away during their fight and admitted that while he cherished the time with her, the effects of the disease made it difficult to communicate.
He said: “The sad thing is that you just watch the gradual disappearance of the person you knew, loved and were very close to. If you live day to day, it’s manageable.”
Precious memories: The family seize every moment and take the opportunity to think with Prunella (pictured in 2012)
However, the family seizes every moment and takes the opportunity to reminisce with Prunella.
Before she turned 90 this year, Sam created a book of Twitter posts from 6,000 people.
One of the most famous faces to wish her a happy birthday was Mark Hamill, the Star Wars actor.
The posts were about the things they remembered and loved from Prunella’s famous career.
Sam described the book as a special moment and explained that she happily reads it to see how she made people happy through her work.
Love: Sam (pictured in September) described the book as a special moment and explained that she kept reading to see how she made people happy through her work
Her son has been an actor for over 30 years. His first role came straight out of college as Prince Caspian in CS Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
The actor, father of two with his partner Laura, studied English literature at Oxford.
In 1992 he was nominated for a BAFTA for Howard’s End, starring Helena Bonham Carter.
But he is now working on All Creatures, a series that makes him very happy.
He also likes his animal co-stars, who take horseback riding lessons to learn how to ride bareback.
Sam also talked about the difficulties of working with cows, explaining that they like to know where you are.
He added that if you move away from them, they will follow you and sometimes hurt their foot when they step on you.
Sam is proud of the message All Creatures sends to TV viewers.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is a generic term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A WORLDWIDE CARE
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behaviour.
There are many different forms of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common.
Some people have a combination of dementias.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, everyone experiences dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries where people are likely to live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ASKED?
The Alzheimer’s Association reports that there are more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. By 2040, this number is expected to rise to 1.6 million.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of people diagnosed.
There are an estimated 5.5 million people with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. A similar percentage increase is expected for the coming years.
The risk of developing dementia also increases with age.
The rate of diagnoses is improving, but many people with dementia are believed to remain undiagnosed.
IS THERE A MEDICINE?
There is currently no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow its progression, and the earlier it’s caught, the more effective treatments are.
Source: Alzheimer’s Association
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Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
