Dame Judi Dench spoke candidly about the challenges of aging and her deteriorating eyesight.
The Skyfall alum shared emotional details during his extensive interview with Radio Times before her 91st birthday on Tuesday.
The Oscar-winning actress revealed that her battle with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has now left her unable to watch television or read scripts without assistance.
She relies on assistants and colleagues to read lines aloud.
Dench remembers the lines using her photographic memory.
Her eyes are in the advanced ‘wet’ stage of AMD, making them untreated.
“It’s a crusher”, said Dench.
“I miss seeing Clive Myrie do Mastermind, but I can hear the questions,” Dench replied when asked what she missed.
The 90-year-old is also unable to continue other previous activities such as embroidery, driving or even going out alone.
Despite this, she continues to work as she is determined not to let her condition dampen her career.
Another obstacle in her life is short-term memory loss.
She joked that although she can recite Shakespeare’s speeches, she often forgets what she has to do tomorrow.
Dench admitted to fearing she would ‘lose the plot’.
