Judi Dench, 90, Can’t Go Out Alone Anymore Due to Vision Loss: ‘I’ll Walk into Something or Fall Over’

Mar. 15, 2025

Dame Judi Dench.Photo:Karwai Tang/WireImage

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Judi Denchis giving an update on her vision loss.TheAcademy Awardwinner, 90, appeared on the latest episode of the Trinny Woodall’sFearlesspodcast and briefly discussed her eye disease, revealing that she can no longer go out on her own.“Somebody will always be with me,” she said on the show. “I have to now because I can’t see and I will walk into something or fall over.”“I’m always nervous before going to something. I have no idea why… I’m not good at being on my own at all, nor would I be now. And fortunately, I don’t have to now because I pretend to have no eyesight,” she said with a laugh.Dench has macular degeneration in her eyes, which can cause permanent and rapid central vision loss, according to theMayo Clinic. It’s the No. 1 cause of vision loss in people over 50.TheBelfastactress first revealed that she was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2012 afterspeculation about her eyesight.Dame Judi Dench.David M. Benett/Dave Benett/GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.During a 2021 event for the London-based Vision Foundation, Dench explained how she had beencoping with her worsening eyesightwhen she had to read scripts.“You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult,” she admitted. “I’ve had to find another way of learning lines and things, which is having great friends of mine repeat them to me over and over and over again.“She added, “So I have to learn through repetition, and I just hope that people won’t notice too much if all the lines are completely hopeless!“And, during an appearance onThe Graham Norton Showin February 2023, Dench said another reason it’s hard to memorize lines is becauseshe has 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,” thePhilomenastar said. “I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them. I could do the whole ofTwelfth Nightright now.”

Judi Denchis giving an update on her vision loss.

TheAcademy Awardwinner, 90, appeared on the latest episode of the Trinny Woodall’sFearlesspodcast and briefly discussed her eye disease, revealing that she can no longer go out on her own.

“Somebody will always be with me,” she said on the show. “I have to now because I can’t see and I will walk into something or fall over.”

“I’m always nervous before going to something. I have no idea why… I’m not good at being on my own at all, nor would I be now. And fortunately, I don’t have to now because I pretend to have no eyesight,” she said with a laugh.

Dench has macular degeneration in her eyes, which can cause permanent and rapid central vision loss, according to theMayo Clinic. It’s the No. 1 cause of vision loss in people over 50.

TheBelfastactress first revealed that she was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2012 afterspeculation about her eyesight.

Dame Judi Dench.David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

During a 2021 event for the London-based Vision Foundation, Dench explained how she had beencoping with her worsening eyesightwhen she had to read scripts.

“You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult,” she admitted. “I’ve had to find another way of learning lines and things, which is having great friends of mine repeat them to me over and over and over again.”

She added, “So I have to learn through repetition, and I just hope that people won’t notice too much if all the lines are completely hopeless!”

And, during an appearance onThe Graham Norton Showin February 2023, Dench said another reason it’s hard to memorize lines is becauseshe has 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,” thePhilomenastar said. “I used to find it very easy to learn lines and remember them. I could do the whole ofTwelfth Nightright now.”

source: people.com