What is Basil Fawlty's wife's first name?

Basil Fawlty’s wife is named Sybil Fawlty.

Sybil, played by Prunella Scales, is Basil’s wife and his more capable partner in running the hotel. She is energetic, bossy and socially confident, while Basil is anxious about status and constantly losing control. Her ability to dominate him is one of the show’s central comic dynamics.

Sybil often manages crises more effectively than Basil, even though she spends plenty of time chatting on the telephone or speaking with guests. Basil’s elaborate insults and nicknames for her reveal how intimidated he is, but he normally freezes whenever she calls him by his first name. Her distinctive laugh and repeated telephone phrase, “Ooh, I know,” became memorable features of the character.

The other names are associated with different characters or possible real-world mix-ups. Polly is the hotel’s chambermaid and general assistant, while Audrey is Sybil’s friend and not her first name. Sybil’s character was also partly informed by the real-life Beatrice Sinclair, who helped run the Gleneagles Hotel with her husband.