Judi Dench health issues explored as actress says she can't go out alone due to declining eyesight

Veteran actress Judi Dench is reportedly struggling to keep up with her eyesight. During a conversation with entrepreneur and businesswoman Trinny Woodall on the Fearless podcast, the actress looked back at her life and legacy in the industry.

The podcast had a segment towards the end titled “Can you read digital time?” in which Trinny asked Judi Dench about what she did when she woke up in the morning. The actress said she gets up, takes a bath, and carries on with the day. However, she mentioned facing difficulty seeing the watch.

Trinny then asked whether she had people accompanying her wherever she went, to which she replied affirmatively and said someone or the other always accompanied her, like her agent, to the events due to her poor eyesight. She thinks she would walk into something because of that.

She also mentioned that she was not skilled in certain situations and doesn’t think she would be any better now. Judi Dench shared that she often feels nervous before events but wasn’t sure why.

This is not the first time that she has spoken about her eyesight. In a 2012 interview with The Mirror, it was mentioned that the actress struggled with muscular degeneration that could cause blindness. Back then, she said:

“I can’t read scripts any more because of the trouble with my eyes. And so somebody comes in and reads them to me, like telling me a story. It’s usually my daughter or my agent or a friend and actually I like that, because I sit there and imagine the story in my mind.”

---

Judi Dench said she relied on her photographic memory

During an episode of The Graham Norton Show in 2023, the actress shared that her declining vision made it harder to memorize her lines. Judi Dench explained that her photographic memory required assistance, like a tool to help her recall the lines and their placement on the page.

She reflected on how learning and remembering lines used to come naturally, even mentioning she could recite the entire Twelfth Night effortlessly. Judi Dench also shared insights about her experience with macular degeneration, emphasizing that while it is a common condition affecting many worldwide, it won't cause blindness.

While speaking to The Mirror, she said she adapted to the challenges the eyesight problem came with, though she noted difficulties like not being able to see faces clearly or enjoy small details, such as on-stage mishaps or dining with friends in dimly lit restaurants.

Despite these obstacles, she remained determined, relying on tools like lenses, glasses, and bright lighting to assist her vision. She even planned to invest in a digital reader to enlarge text for easier reading.

---

According to BBC, in 2024, Judi Dench became the patron of the Yorkshire Macular Degeneration Fund, which supports research into age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Established by the University of York and Hull York Medical School, the fund aims to improve early diagnosis and treatment.