Dame Judi Dench reveals she can't go anywhere alone as she shares health update

Dame Judi Dench - whose glittering career has included starring in the James Bond film series - has spoken about age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and given a health update

Dame Judi Dench has revealed that she can't go out on her own due to concerns related to her eyesight.

The actor, 90, announced back in 2012 that she had been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The NHS states that the condition can make "reading and recognising faces difficult," and leads to a deterioration of sight.

Judi has spoken about its impact on her life over the years and has now further discussed her experience. She spoke about her eyesight whilst she appeared as a guest on a recent episode of Fearless podcast, hosted by Trinny Woodall, 60.

She shared: "I'm always nervous before going to something. I'm nervous about ... I don't know. I have no idea." After Trinny then suggested that the Oscar winner would have someone with her for red carpet events, Judi said: "Quite."

Trinny added that the theatre star will "always" have someone by her side, to which Judi explained: "Well, I have to now because I can't see and I'll walk into something and fall over." She went on to tease about her loss of vision.

Asking about her experience prior to her eyesight issues, Trinny said: "What have you done when you've had to go to something by yourself?" Judi responded: "I'm not good at that at all, nor would I be now. Fortunately I don't have to be now." She then teased: "I pretend now to have no eyesight."

Judi - whose career has included starring in the James Bond film series - has previously spoken about AMD and the affect the condition's had on her life. She once said about it: "Ghastly. It's terrible to be so dependent on people."

She told Notebook in 2023 that the condition affected her learning scripts for roles. She said: "I mean I can't see on a film set any more. And I can't see to read." The actor suggested that she would "just deal with it" and "get on" though.

Judi continued at the time: "It's difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven't yet found a way." She added that her friends would be able to "teach" her the script and then shared that she has a "photographic memory".

The National Eye Institute describes AMD as an eye disease that can blur a person's central vision. It says: "It happens when aging causes damage to the macula - the part of the eye that controls sharp, straight-ahead vision." It adds that the condition is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults and whilst it "doesn't cause complete blindness," losing your central vision can provide challenges in everyday life.

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