Dame Judi Dench says she can't leave the house on her own in sad health update
Dame Judi Dench has revealed that she can't go out by herself anymore due to her eyesight deteriorating. In 2012, the renowned actress was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, which is a disease that causes your central vision to blur.
In a new interview, the 90-year-old star shared that she needs to be accompanied by someone any time she leaves the house, in case she falls over or hurts herself by banging into something she cannot see clearly.
On Trinny Woodall's Fearless podcast, the James Bond star said: "Somebody will always be with me; I have to now because I can’t see and I will walk into something or fall over."
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However, despite her worsening eyesight, Judi has revealed that she prefers to be surrounded and supported by others and, in general, she said she is "not very good at being on my own". The Express reported that she told Trinny: "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 cheekily added.
Judy's eyesight has been an ongoing struggle for her, as last year she hinted that her acting career could be over for good as her declining sight meant that learning lines had become "impossible". On top of this, she revealed that she has no plans for any future acting projects after her appearance in the 2022 film, Spirited.
When asked about what her future career looked like at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, the Oscar winner replied: "No, no, I can't even see!" After her diagnosis back in 2012, she said that she has tried to work "as much as she can" but is finding any part "difficult" to play.
She said: "I have so many friends who will teach me the script. But I have a photographic memory, so I have to know where it is on the page, and that's quite a difficult thing. That's what makes it really impossible so far [not knowing exactly where the text is]. But I'll find a way."
As well as her eyesight causing professional setbacks for the actress, she is also experiencing new difficulties in her personal life. She has shared that her partner David Mills needs to "cut up her food" as she struggles to see it.
However, Judi has not let her condition stop her from working, as even though she may be off our screens, she is active in various endeavours, including releasing a book - Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent.
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