Dame Judi Dench reveals deteriorating eyesight means she cannot go out alone

22 January 2025, 11:44

The Oscar-winning actress remains positive in the face of her age-related macular degeneration.

Dame Judi Dench has opened up about how her deteriorating eyesight has made her reluctant to go out of the house alone.

The British national treasure revealed her age-related macular degeneration (AMD) diagnosis in 2012, and has spoken several times in the past decade years about how the degenerative eye condition has begun to affect her everyday life.

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AMD does not lead to total blindness, but the common condition which affects middle vision does lead to difficulties with day-to-day activities such as reading and recognising faces.

Speaking with beauty entrepreneur Trinny Woodall on her Fearless podcast earlier this month, Dame Judi – who turned 90 in December – shared that she takes care not to go to events alone as a result of her worsening eyesight.

“Somebody will always be with me,” Judi said, explaining: “I have to [go with someone] now, because I can’t see and I will walk into something or fall over!”

The James Bond actress sees this development as largely positive, having never been fond of attending industry events such as red carpets alone.

“I’m always nervous before going to something,” she reflected. “I have no idea [why]... I’m not good at that at all. Not at all. Nor would I be now.

“And fortunately,” she added: “I don’t have to be now because I pretend to have no eyesight!”

The A-list actress has been more affected by other changes which AMD has led to in her life, however.

In 2019, the Philomena star told Radio Times that she had given up driving as a result of the condition, describing it as “one of the most traumatic moments of my life... absolutely appalling.

“But I just know I’ll kill somebody if I get behind the wheel of a car now,” Judi continued.

The Oscar-winner's AMD has also affected her ability to learn lines, as she used to rely on her photographic memory to learn any length of text with ease.

Judi told the Sunday Mirror’s Notebook magazine in 2023: “I can’t see on a film set anymore. And I can’t see to read. But you just deal with it.

“It’s difficult if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script, but I have a photographic memory.”