EastEnders' Timothy West dies at 90 as BBC soap pays tribute to acting legend

Timothy West as Stan Carter in BBC's EastEnders
-Credit: (Image: BBC)


EastEnders bosses have been quick to pay tribute to Timothy West, after the actor famous for being one of the Carter family in the hit soap died at the age of 90.

Introduced to BBC viewers as the father of already established characters Shirley and Tina, Timothy made his debut in EastEnders in 2014, staying for less than a year, but featuring in a number of high profile storylines, having already starred in countless TV shows like Miss Marple, Not Going Out and Coronation Street and on stage in productions of Macbeth and Uncle Vanya.

A statement on Timothy, husband to Fawlty Towers actress Prunella Scales, passing away was released by his children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West on Wednedsay morning, with it reading: "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."

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The statement added: "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."

EastEnders addressed Timothy's death in a post shared on their social media channels, which read: "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."