Judi Dench Can’t Go Out Alone Due to Vision Loss, Has ‘No Eyesight’

Judi Dench’s vision loss has affected all aspects of her life, and has limited her ability to attend public events.

“I’m always nervous before going to something,” the Oscar winner, 90, shared on a recent episode of Trinny Woodall’s “Fearless” podcast, noting that someone always has to “be with me” on red carpets because of her vision loss. “I’m not good at that at all. Not at all. Nor would I be now. And fortunately, I don’t have to be now,” she stated, joking that she has “no eyesight.”

She added: “You might trip up.”

Dench announced she was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2012. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition is a common form of vision loss in people over the age of 50.

“In response to the numerous articles in the media concerning my eye condition – macular degeneration – I do not wish for this to be overblown,” she said in a statement to Reuters at the time. “This condition is something that thousands and thousands of people all over the world are having to contend with. It’s something that I have learnt to cope with and adapt to – and it will not lead to blindness.”

The celebrated British actress has continued to be candid about her eyesight struggles over the years, stating at a 2021 online event for the Vision Foundation that she had to adapt how she prepares for roles because of her condition.

“You find a way of just getting about and getting over the things that you find very difficult,” Dench explained, per The Guardian. “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. 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!”

During a February 2023 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Dench revealed it had “become impossible” for her to read scripts. “And because I have 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,” she said. Dench noted that she once found it “very easy to learn lines and remember them,” and could “do the whole of Twelfth Night right now.”

Dench is one of many celebs who have endured challenges with their vision. Earlier this month, Elton John poked fun at his vision loss while presenting the award for Best Original Score, Motion Picture, at the 2025 Golden Globes with Brandi Carlile.

“I don’t know if you know, but there’s been a lot of stories going on around about my recursive eyesight. I just wanted to reassure everybody that it’s not as bad as it seems,” he said on stage before joking, “I’m so pleased to be here with my cohost, Rihanna.”

John, 77, revealed he was recovering from a “severe eye infection” in September 2024 that left him with “limited vision in one eye.” That November, he told Good Morning America he “can’t see anything” in his right eye as a result of the illness.