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John Cleese confirms death of Fawlty Towers star John Quarmby: 'I'll never forget'


John Cleese, 79, said John Quarmby, who played the unimpressed health inspector in sitcom Fawlty Towers, had died at the age of 89. “Sad to hear of the death go John Quarmby who played the health inspector in Basil the Rat episode,” he told his 5.6 million Twitter followers. Calling his former co-star a “lovely chap”, he added: “I shall never forget the expression on his face when he saw the rat sitting in the biscuit tin.” Quarmby will be remembered by Fawlty Towers fans for his portrayal of the impassive Mr Carnegie, who is tasked with investigating the dubious Fawlty Towers hotels hygiene procedures.

Fans took to Twitter to comment with their memories of the Quarmby’s role in the hilarious episode, with one saying: “Brilliant moment, ‘Would you care for a rat?’ He gives one of the great deadpan expressions of all time.”(sic)

“RIP. But I am happy that he lived to experience the delights of Norwegian veal,” another said, while a third added: “One of the best episodes — although saying that I would probably say that about all of them, they are an absolute institution! Sad to hear of his passing.”

“Sorry for your loss, John, but wasn’t it a Siberian hamster?” one Twitter used joked.

“RIP John Quarmby. Excellent episode,” another wrote. “And the look on his face… the way his jaw slowly drops… But wasn’t it a Siberian hamster?”

Basil the Rat saw Manuel’s (played by Andrew Sachs) pet escape and run riot around the hotel during an ill-timed visit by the health inspector.

Meanwhile, Manuel is insistent the rat is in fact a “Siberian hamster”.

Chaos ensues, with the staff rushing to try to catch the animal before Basil (John Cleese) finds out.

He moved into acting after serving two years in the RAF.

After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he spent years as a stage actor before starting to work in TV in the late 1950s.

Fawlty Towers, written and created by Cleese and Booth, aired two series, each consisting of six episodes, between 1975 and 1979.

The sitcom has since become a cult classic.

Set in a fictional hotel in Torquay, Devon, it centred around the rude, grumpy manager, Basil, and a cast of unique characters trying to keep the establishment running despite him consistently offending any customers who braved a stay there.

However, the ill-tempered manager soon discovers the disaster and becomes part of the team trying to conceal the health violation from Quarmby’s character.

In classic Fawlty Styles fashion, the farce leads to Basil accidentally presenting the health inspector with a biscuit tin in which the rat is stowed before realising his mistake.

“W-would you care for a rat?” he asks, as the inspector simply stares stunned at the rodent nestled among the crackers.

Quarmby’s acting career spanned 50 years and boasted small roles in Z-Cars, K-9 and Company and Porridge.

He moved into acting after serving two years in the RAF.

After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he spent years as a stage actor before starting to work in TV in the late 1950s.

Fawlty Towers, written and created by Cleese and Booth, aired two series, each consisting of six episodes, between 1975 and 1979.

The sitcom has since become a cult classic.

Set in a fictional hotel in Torquay, Devon, it centred around the rude, grumpy manager, Basil, and a cast of unique characters trying to keep the establishment running despite him consistently offending any customers who braved a stay there.



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