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Dame Judi Dench says sight loss has ended her performing career

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 13:02 · Archive

Dame Judi Dench, 91, has said her age-related macular degeneration means she can no longer perform on stage or film or read.

Dame Judi Dench, 91, has said that sight loss caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has ended her performing career. During an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday, she stated: 'I can't be on stage. I can't do a play any more. I can't do a film any more. I can't read any more.' AMD causes progressive sight loss. She was diagnosed in 2012.

Dame Judi described the everyday challenges the condition creates. She told BBC presenter Emma Barnett that she often approached strangers by mistake, saying 'Oh sorry, didn't realise', and added that she could not see the host's face at all. She also said she could no longer go out alone due to fears of falling or walking into objects.

She has continued working for as long as possible following her diagnosis. By 2023, she said she could no longer see on film sets and relied on friends to help her learn lines by repetition. Speaking on a podcast last year, she expressed sadness at missing the natural world, saying of summer bluebells: 'They said this summer was absolutely sensational with bluebells; I couldn't see one.'

Dame Judi Dench says sight loss has ended her performing career
Image: The Press (York)

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In this story: Dame Judi Dench · BBC Radio 4 · York

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