Dame Judi Dench gives devastating health update which means she 'can't leave home alone'
Legendary James Bond star Dame Judi Dench has issued a saddening update on her health which means that she "can't leave home alone".
Chatting to Trinny Woodall on her Fearless podcast, the beloved actress shared an insight into her current health as she explained how she now requires assistance in some situations: "Somebody will always be with me. I have to (have them) now because I can't see and I will walk into something or fall over."
While admitting that she has never enjoyed having to attend events alone, Dame Judi said she now has no choice but to be accompanied as a result of suffering with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
She said: "I'm always nervous before going to something. I have no idea why. 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 because I pretend to have no eyesight."
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It was in 2012 that the 90-year-old first discovered that she was suffering with the condition, which occurs when aging causes the macula - which is part of the retina, to become damaged.
Dame Judi is just one of thousands in the UK currently suffering with AMD. In fact, it is the leading cause of vision loss with approximately 700,000 people suffering with the condition.
While AMD has meant that Dame Judi now requires assistance outside of her home, it has also had a knock on affect on another aspect of her life, her ability to learn lines.
She said, while talking about her condition in 2023: "And I can't see to read. But you just deal with it. It's difficult if I have any length of a part. I haven't yet found a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script."
Held up as one of the most accomplished actresses the country has ever produced, Dame Judi has appeared in countless roles on-stage and on-screen down the years. Some of her most-celebrated stage performances include her appearances in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth.
But away from her theatre appearances, she is known all around the globe for her role as M in the last eight instalments of James Bond. While she has been recognised with awards for her acting down the years, it is perhaps being made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988 that is Judi's proudest achievement yet.