Dame Judi Dench has given a candid update on her eyesight during an emotional episode of her documentary series, Tea with Judi Dench, telling her close friend Sir Ian McKellen that her vision has deteriorated to the point where she can no longer see details of his face.
In the episode, the two actors discussed whether they focus on the present or dwell on the past. When Sir Ian asked his friend that question, she replied: "I live in the present because I daren't look at the future, because my eyesight now is so bad, it's so bad." She added: "I can't see any details of your face."
A Tender Response
Sir Ian responded with compassion, saying: "Oh, darling. If you want to feel my face, it's there." He took hold of her hand, brought it towards his face, and tenderly kissed it.
The 91-year-old actress was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012. AMD is an eye condition that affects central vision and restricts the ability to see objects directly ahead.
Previous Conversations About Her Condition
This is not the first time Dame Judi has spoken about her condition with Sir Ian. In December 2025, the pair came together for the 50th anniversary of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1976–77 production of Macbeth.
During a joint interview on ITV News, she said that while she could still recognise him, "I can't recognise anybody now....I can't see the television, [and I] can't see to read". Sir Ian jested: "Do you go up to total strangers and say, 'Lovely to see you again?'" She answered: "Yes, sometimes."
Sir Ian Reflects on Coming Out
During the episode, the discussion arose as Sir Ian reflected on coming out as gay and his regret at not telling his parents earlier. He described finding a letter from his father, written on his 21st birthday.
"I was at university, not living at home anymore," he told Dame Judi. "He was only saying he loved me and I had done well and he would always be looking out for me, I think. Of course, looking back now, I knew I was gay at 21, it was the biggest thing in my life, really, the discovery and acceptance of that."
He added: "And one of the first [people] I should have talked to about it would have been dad, but I didn't. He was sending me this letter full of love, and I wonder, looking back, was he saying 'Is there anything you want to talk to me about?' I wonder?"
Sir Ian was in his late 40s when he first disclosed his sexuality to his sister, Jean. He recalled her reaction: "Her first reaction was 'Oh, Ian, I have known that for ages, and I have never wanted to talk to you about it because I thought you didn't want to'."
He confessed: "What a waste of time, and my dad was long since dead, and my mother before that. I have few regrets in my life, but that's one of them, that I didn't talk."
Sir Ian publicly revealed he was gay during a live radio discussion about Section 28, a contentious piece of legislation proposed by Margaret Thatcher's government that aimed to prohibit local authorities from "intentionally promoting homosexuality or publishing material with the intention of promoting homosexuality".
Tea with Judi Dench is streaming on Sky Arts, Freeview, and streaming service NOW.
