Judi Dench has revealed that she is going blind and yet refuses to retire. 'James Bond' star Judi Dench is suffering from macular degeneration, a condition which can lead to blindness.

The 77-year-old actress now has to rely on friends and family to help her read scripts after her diagnosis. Speaking to The Daily Mirror, she said: 'I can't read scripts anymore because of the trouble with my eyes. And so somebody comes in and reads them to me, like telling me a story. It's usually my daughter or my agent or a friend and actually I like that, because I sit there and imagine the story in my mind. I've got what my ma had, macular degeneration, which you get when you get old.' Dench further elaborates that she cannot see people who sit directly in front of her, but this will not cause her to retire: ''As long as there is a possibility of working I'm not going to retire because if I retire nothing will work anymore and it's hard enough as it is.'

Even though Dench is due to appear in the 23rd James Bond film, 'Skyfall', it is rumoured she is set to leave the franchise as M. Judi Dench will next be seen alongside Maggie Smith in 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel', scheduled for release in the UK on 24th February 2012.