Dame Judi Dench reveals surprise Emmerdale ambition in special interview

Dame Judi Dench has shared her desire to appear in Emmerdale. The star has been a staple of screen and stage for decades, appearing in everything from James Bond to Shakespeare, winning an Oscar along the way.

Dench has now voiced a new ambition while speaking on BBC Radio 2's The Sara Cox Breakfast Show, admitting she has never been asked to join one of the soaps.

"I don't think I ever have, and I'm sure nobody would have me in it," she said. "No, I've never been asked to appear in TV soap opera."

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However, when a few ideas were floated – including heading to the Dales – she responded: "Emmerdale driving some sheep! I could be a very, very serious shepherdess."

It comes after Dench revealed this week that living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has meant that she is now severely limited in what she can do.

"I can't be on stage. I can't do a play any more. I can't do a film any more. I can't read any more," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "You've got to adjust to all that, make allowance for it, and just get on, and don't think about it too much."

The star shared that she also has trouble seeing faces, and often has awkward encounters, explaining: "I go up to lots of the wrong people and say 'hello!' And give them an enormous hug… and say 'so sorry'."

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Dench further said: "They said this summer was absolutely sensational with bluebells. I couldn't see one. But I know what my trees look like, so part of it is in my memory, and part of it is what I can hopefully just about make out."

Meanwhile, in her recent memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It? Dench suggested that the 2019 screen adaptation of Cats, which she starred in, was a "waste" of talent.

"I understand the critics were rather hostile to the film," she added. "I never saw the final cut so I can't judge. All I'll say is nobody sets out to give a poor performance or make a bad film. You do your best, offer something up and hope that people will get on board and join the party."

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

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