Dame Judi Dench says worsening eye condition means she can no longer act in heartbreaking health update

Dame Judi Dench has said her eye condition has resulted in her no longer being able to perform on stage or read.

Opening up about the condition, which has affected her ability to work as an actor, Dame Judi told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “I can’t be on stage. I can’t do a play anymore. I can’t do a film anymore. I can’t read anymore.”

She was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012

“I go up to lots of the wrong people and give them a hug and say, ‘oh sorry, didn’t realise’.”

Speaking to interviewer Emma Barnett, Dame Judi said: “I can’t see your face at all.”

She also explained that the condition can often lead to awkward encounters, saying she sometimes approaches the wrong people "and give them an almost hug" before realising her mistake.

The James Bond star also expressed sadness at not being able to see bluebells in the summer, saying: “They said this summer was absolutely sensational with bluebells; I couldn’t see one.

She also explained that the condition can often lead to awkward encounters, saying she sometimes approaches the wrong people ‘and give them an almost hug’

“But I know what my trees look like, and part of it is in my memory and part of it is about hopefully what I can make out.”

Asked how she felt about ageing in general, Dame Judi replied: “Ageing? Rubbish. There’s nothing to say for it at all.

“Don’t think about it too much and just keep on trying to do the roller skates and whatever.

Queen Elizabeth II speaks with Judi Dench before the world premiere Casino Royale

AFP/Getty

“If you can’t see as well, which I can’t, it’s a whole other ball game. I have to put up with it. My ma had it too.”

Dame Judi previously told how she stopped driving a few years ago because of her deteriorating eyesight.

She told Radio Times: “A couple of years ago I stopped driving, which was one of the most traumatic moments of my life. It was absolutely appalling.

Dame Judi has also given up driving due to her worsening eye sight

“But I just know I’ll kill somebody if I get behind the wheel of a car now.”

AMD is a common condition and does not cause total blindness, but it can make reading and recognising faces difficult, according to the NHS.

Dame Judi, whose career spans seven decades, has won various awards including an Oscar, two Golden Globes and six Baftas.

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for playing Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love in 1999, and became internationally recognised for her portrayal of "M", the iconic spy’s boss. She made her debut as the character in GoldenEye in 1995, becoming the first woman to play the iconic role. She last played “M” in a brief cameo in 2015’s Spectre.