19-05-2025
Dame Judi Dench is recreated in clay as royal sculptor crafts bust of actress in front of live audience at charity event to celebrate her 90th birthday
Dame Judi Dench has been recreated in clay after an artist whose portfolio includes the royal family crafted a bust of her.
The English acting legend, 90, was sculpted live in front of an audience by royal sculptor Frances Segelman for a charity event in London on Monday.
While also celebrating Dame Judi's decades-long career and 90th birthday, the event aimed to raise awareness and money for the Lymphoedema Research Fund (LRF) at St George's Hospital Charity.
The event was hosted by Dame Judi's longtime friend, photographer and St George's Hospital Charity ambassador Gemma Levine, who was diagnosed with lymphoedema - a chronic condition that causes swelling of the body's tissues - 15 years ago.
Gemma said: 'Dame Judi has given so much to the world through her art, it felt only right to honour her in this way while supporting a cause that's so close to my heart.'
Artist Frances, known for her high-profile portfolio which includes sculptures of the King and the late Queen, crafted the majority of the sculpture of Dame Judi in just two hours front of an audience of 200 guests.
She will complete and cast the sculpture of Dame Judi in bronze at her studio for it to be sold to raise funds for the charity.
Speaking about the live sculpting process, Frances said: 'It's really quite magical, funnily enough, because it's such fast work, it's like crazy mental work.
'I don't know anyone that can get a bust finished in two hours and look exactly like someone. It's such fast work, I do actually get personality in it.'
The evening brought together figures from the arts and healthcare industry at Claridge's in London, with Dame Judi taking part to help raise money for the cause.
Lymphoedema is a long-term condition which causes swelling in the body's tissue, usually developing in the arms or legs, according to the NHS website.
Discussing why she wanted to get involved, royal sculptor Frances explained that she attended a similar event last year and was shocked by the demographic that had attended and were visibly suffering from the condition.
She said: 'What really, really got to me was there were young people in the audience, really young people, teenagers with this awful condition, swollen arms, swollen hands, and I felt so sad.
'I really felt I had to do something to help.
'I was quite amazed and shocked by it. And in fact my late husband, Sir Jack Petchey, he passed away about eight to seven months ago and he had lymphoedema.
'He didn't have cancer, but he had the most unbelievable swollen legs, which you often find in older people when they're not walking around a lot, and it's such a horrible thing to have because their legs swell and they can't really walk properly anywhere.'
The event is expected to raise more than £40,000 for the Lymphoedema Research Fund at St George's Hospital Charity to support its advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
The sculpture of Judi comes after bosses of the high profile 'science Oscars' edited out a risky sexual gag aimed at the actress, made by J ames Corden, in their final official broadcast of this year's Breakthrough Awards.
When the former chat show host delivered the joke about the English actress having sex with a leading US doctor it stunned the A-list Hollywood audience. However the raunchy comment was removed completely from the official broadcast of the entire show on YouTube last month.
No explanation was given about the removal of the lurid sexual gag which centred on the acting icon having carnal relations with Dr Anthony Fauci - the former Chief Medical Advisor to the President Of The United States.
The evening brought together figures from the arts and healthcare industry at Claridge's in London, with Dame Judi taking part to help raise money for the cause
The Gavin and Stacey creator, 46, said: 'Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than of course, that one magical evening where Dr. Fauci had a one night stand with Dame Judi Dench.'
Cameras panned to Olivia Wilde, who once dated Harry Styles, and she raised her eyebrows. The joke was not met warmly by the rest of the audience with many not laughing.
The crowd was made up of figures from science, mathematics, and fundamental physics, along with Hollywood A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Lizzo, and Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot.
In the final broadcast it featured James saying: 'Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together' but cuts the Dame Judi comment, as James continues 'And Hollywood has come out tonight.'
Dame Judi was not present at the awards earlier this month which was held in a space aircraft hanger and recognised winners for their scientific achievements with leading futures from the entertainment, sports, technology and business.
