She has commanded Shakespeare’s greatest heroines.
She has conquered Hollywood stages and silver screens alike.
She has stood as one of the most revered actresses in history.
But now, at 91 years old, Dame Judi Dench is facing a battle more frightening than any role she has ever played — the quiet, devastating loss of her sight… and the creeping fear that her memory may one day follow.
In an emotionally raw and deeply personal interview released just days before her 91st birthday, the screen legend has spoken with stunning honesty about her deteriorating health, her dependence on others for daily life, and her most controversial Hollywood relationships — including Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
“I Can’t See The Television Anymore”
For more than a decade, Dame Judi has lived with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) — a progressive eye condition that slowly destroys central vision and is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.
Diagnosed in 2012, she has now revealed that both of her eyes are in the advanced ‘wet’ stage of the disease, the most aggressive form — and that there is no longer any medical treatment available to stop it.
In her own understated but devastating words:
“It’s a crusher.”
She can no longer watch television, no longer drive, no longer embroider, and no longer go out alone. The world that once unfolded before her under bright stage lights is now largely hidden in shadow.
And yet, even through the heartbreak, her gentle humor remains:
“I miss seeing Clive Myrie on Mastermind, but at least I can still hear the questions.”
“I’m Terrified I Might One Day Lose The Plot”
While her legendary photographic memory for scripts astonishingly remains — allowing her to continue working with friends reading lines aloud to her — her short-term memory is faltering.
She admits with painful honesty:
“I can recite Shakespeare perfectly… but I can’t remember what I’m doing tomorrow.”
When asked directly if she fears that one day she might completely “lose the plot,” her reply was immediate and unguarded:
“Oh yes.”
So fragile is her daily routine now that she even asked the journalist conducting the interview to check certain details with her assistants, who quietly confirmed that they now manage much of her everyday life.
The Controversial Names That Still Linger In Her Story
Despite her growing physical vulnerability, Dame Judi did not shy away from discussing the most complicated relationships of her career.
She revealed she still keeps in touch with Kevin Spacey, who was cleared of sexual assault charges involving four men in a UK court in 2023.
“Kevin has been exonerated. I hear from Kevin — we still text.”
The two worked together on The Shipping News, shortly after the death of Judi’s husband Michael Williams in 2001 — a period she describes as one of the darkest of her life.
“Kevin was an inestimable comfort… He never mentioned knowing I was in pain. He just cheered me up and kept me going.”
Her Most Delicate Admission: Harvey Weinstein
The most talked-about moment in the interview came when Dame Judi addressed her history with Harvey Weinstein — the disgraced producer behind Shakespeare In Love, which earned her an Oscar in 1998 for just eight minutes of screen time.
Weinstein has since been convicted of multiple sex crimes, with further legal proceedings continuing after parts of his New York conviction were overturned.
Speaking with visible caution, NASA said:
“I knew Harvey. I worked with him closely. I never had that experience — very fortunately for me.”
Then, quietly, she added:
“I imagine he’s done his time… I don’t know. Forgiveness, to me, is very personal.”
Her words, measured and gentle, reopened a complex and emotional conversation — just as she had done years earlier when the scandal first erupted in 2017, offering public sympathy and unwavering support to the victims.
Still Standing, Still Creating
Despite everything — the fading vision, the slipping memory, the dependence on others — Dame Judi Dench is not retreating from life.
Her next appearance will be in an extraordinary Channel 4 documentary:
Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me
The project follows her journey through ancient Danish archives as she investigates whether her ancestor may have met William Shakespeare in 1606 — the very year the playwright created three of his greatest masterpieces.
For an actress who has dedicated her life to Shakespeare’s words, the experience is nothing short of sacred:
“To think I might be stepping closer to him… after all these years of loving his work with genuine passion… it’s beyond my wildest dreams.”
A Legend At The Edge Of Light
Now, as she approaches her 91st birthday, Dame Judi Dench stands as a living symbol of resilience, vulnerability, controversy, brilliance — and humanity.
Her eyes may be fading.
Her memory may falter.
But her voice — the one that shaped generations — still speaks with piercing clarity.
And for millions who grew up watching her command the stage and screen, her courage in facing the unknown may be her most powerful performance yet.
Dame Judi Dench appears on the cover of the Radio Times Christmas Issue, on sale nationwide Tuesday, December 9.