Dame Judi Dench reveals vision loss has forced her to stop acting

Dame Judi Dench has revealed that her worsening eyesight has forced her to step away from acting.

The acclaimed actress, 91, shared the heartbreaking update during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Thursday, October 22, explaining that she can’t read scripts or even recognise faces anymore.

“I can’t be on stage. I can’t do a play anymore. I can’t do a film anymore. I can’t read anymore,” Dench said, telling host Emma Barnett that she couldn’t even see her face “at all.”

The James Bond star was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012, which also affected her late mother, Eleanora Olave Dench.

READ MORE: What is AMD? Everything to know about the condition affecting Dame Judi Dench

Dench previously described the condition as “the most terrible shock to the system,” admitting in a 2023 interview with Mirror’s Notebook magazine that “it’s terrible to be so dependent on people.”

Despite her health struggles, the Oscar-winner has consistently pushed back against suggestions that she should retire. In an October 9 interview with The Times, she said, “I want to be like Newton Blick, who died in his dressing room after a performance. I want to be one of those women who throw themselves out of planes when they’re 100.” 

READ MORE: Judi Dench pushes back against retirement rumours