Legendary British actress Dame Judi Dench has heartbreakingly confirmed that she can no longer leave her house on her own, due to her deteriorating eyesight.
The 90-year-old first opened up about her health battle with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012, and has provided rare updates about her condition over the years.
The actor was diagnosed with advanced macular degeneration in 2012. (Credit: Getty)
In January 2025, Judi Dench spoke with Trinny Woodall on her Fearless podcast, where she confirmed “somebody will always be with me” when she leaves her home.
“I have to [have someone] now because I can’t see,” Dench said. “And I will walk into something or fall over.”
Speaking to The Mirror’s Notebook Magazine in August 2023, the Academy Award winner revealed the impact that her vision loss has had on her prolific acting career. She shared that her condition made her unable to learn lines.
“I can’t see on a film set any more, and I can’t see to read, so I can’t see much,” she stated.
“It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way. I have so many friends who will teach me the script, but I have a photographic memory.”
“It has become impossible [to learn lines] and because I have a photographic memory, I need to find a machine that not only teaches me my lines, but also tells me where they appear on the page,” Judirevealed on The Graham Norton Show in 2012.
Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1998. (Credit: Getty)
Despite the setback, Judi revealed she has no intention to retire from acting, with the star determined to continue to work “as much as I can.”
“You know, you just deal with it. Get on,” she told Notebook, adding “I have an irrational fear of boredom. That’s why I have this tattoo that says carpe diem [seize the day]. That’s what we should live by.”
Throughout her career, Judi has starred in almost 60 feature films – becoming a household name for her portrayal as the enigmatic M in the James Bond franchise.
Dench has also been involved in live theatre since the 1960s. (Credit: Getty)
While Judi is notoriously private in relation to her personal life, the actor shared a candid insight on her relationship with her partner of 13 years David Mills.
“I’ve had many, many good friends, but it’s been very unexpected to have somebody new who is as caring as my partner, David.”
Judi’s husband Michael Williams sadly passed away in 2001 from lung cancer, with the actor telling Notebook, “I never expected, not for a minute, that there would be anybody else in my life after Michael died.”
“Someone to be able to share things with… I feel very lucky indeed. And to laugh with somebody is terribly important! Laughing is the most important thing. We laugh about everything.”
Judi and partner David were spotted earlier this year at Royal Ascot. (Credit: Getty)
