Dame Judi Dench has revealed she is now unable to watch television or theatre performances due to her worsening eyesight.
The double Oscar-winning actress, 90, who has long battled age-related macular degeneration, said she can no longer see well enough to enjoy stage shows — even when she attends in person.
“I can’t see any more,” she said while speaking at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, where she is a patron. “When I go to the theatre, I can’t see. Hopeless.”
Despite her condition, Dame Judi still manages to keep up with the cultural conversation, including the antics of her friend and fellow actress Celia Imrie on The Celebrity Traitors.
“Somebody told me what was happening,” she joked. “I want to hear the dirt that went on.”
Away from stage and screen, the Skyfall star is backing a new campaign by Alzheimer’s Research UK calling on the Government to ensure people with dementia receive faster diagnoses on the NHS.
Almost a million people in the UK are living with dementia, yet around a third are still undiagnosed. In some areas, patients are waiting up to a year after referral to receive confirmation, with those in deprived regions facing even longer delays.
“Dementia doesn’t just take away memories — it can take away identity, connection, and the future you thought you had,” Dame Judi said.
“Watching loved ones slip away, and not knowing why, is an experience no one should have to go through without answers.
“A diagnosis may not fix everything, but it gives people understanding, clarity, and some control at a time when everything feels uncertain.”
The actress urged the public to sign Alzheimer’s Research UK’s petition calling for improvements to dementia diagnosis services.
Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of the charity, said: “Everyone who has dementia should have the right to know the disease causing it — and to be diagnosed early enough to get treatments that help.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Dame Judi for helping shine a light on what people with dementia need. It’s vital that the NHS and Government act now, because no one should face dementia alone or unseen.”
