Timothy West, star of stage and screen, dies aged 90

Tributes have been paid to the veteran actor Timothy West, who has died aged 90, his family confirmed yesterday.

- GREG EVANS

A statement shared by his children, Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, 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 great-grandchildren. 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.”

A frequent star of the stage, having appeared in numerous productions of Macbeth, King Lear and The Master Builder, West was perhaps best known to television audiences for his roles as Eric Babbage in Coronation Street, which he played in 2013, and for Stan Carter, who he played in EastEnders between 2014 and 2015.

The official account for the BBC soap wrote on X: “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.”