Dame Judi Dench has revealed painful health problems and worsening hearing as she describes her worries about getting older.
The 91-year-old shares the candid update in her memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?.
She co-wrote the book with Brendan O’Hea.
Her comments follow a BBC Radio 4 interview about her worsening eyesight.
Judi Dench shares health changes
In her memoir, a comment about her voice becoming deeper prompts Judi to reflect on other changes she has noticed.
She said she does not know why her voice has changed, suggesting her tonsils without offering a medical explanation.
Turning to her hearing, she wrote: “My hearing is also going. Goodness knows what I’m nodding and saying yes to on a daily basis.”
Judi also contrasted how younger and older people might react to an unfamiliar twinge in their back. She admitted a new discomfort raises the possibility of another lasting change she will have to accommodate.
She writes: “You’re constantly on alert, wondering what’s going to pack up next. My teeth are agony.”
One dental memory takes her back to filming Cranford in 2007, when she played Ms Matty Jenkyns.
A crown needed urgent attention while she was working on the period drama. Judi recalled going to the dentist still wearing her costume, rather than changing before getting the problem treated.
The memoir also includes a lighter observation about growing older, with Judi admitting she now breaks wind more often.
Judi Dench’s worsening eyesight
It comes after Judi got candid about her eyesight.
Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she explained how much her deteriorating vision has restricted her work.
Judi has age-related macular degeneration. According to the NHS, the condition affects the middle part of a person’s vision.
During the interview, she said: “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 also discussed adapting to those limitations, making allowances and trying not to dwell too much on them.
Judi’s Graham Norton Show appearance
Despite the restrictions she described around acting, Judi is due to make another television appearance.
She is scheduled to appear on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, November 6, at 10.40pm.
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