Joanna Lumley has revealed that she suffers from face blindness and has trouble recognizing people she knows.
Face blindness, also known as prosopagnosia, is a condition that makes you unable to recognize faces you’ve seen before, including those of friends and family.
Recently talked about the Tracks from My Years podcast with Vernon Kay on BBC Sounds, the actress, 77, opened up about her life with the condition, noting that she “kises everyone” because she can’t always say who she knows.
Joanna explained how this condition has “followed her,” and says she gives herself “tests” to see if she can remember someone’s face in her mind after looking at it.
She explained to the radio host: “I have a weird thing about faces, I have face blindness. It’s called prosopagnosia.
Admission: Joanna Lumley has revealed she suffers from face blindness and has trouble recognizing people she knows (pictured in 2022)
Struggles: Recently the actress, 77, spoke on the Tracks of My Years podcast with Vernon Kay about living with the condition
“Which means I can’t tell people from faces. So unless I know who they are, I don’t know who they are.’
Vernon, 49, then apologized for not being informed, adding that he “didn’t know that was a thing.”
As Joanna continues, “It’s weird. Stephen Fry has it too. This is why I kiss everyone.
‘I kissed you today. A, because I wanted to. B, because I actually didn’t know if I knew you or not. Don’t know.’
Vernon inquired further, then asked, “Are you face blind?”
To which Joanna replied, “I need to know who people are, I need to know in advance.” I always say “please tell me who will be there” then I can match the name to the thing.
“I mean, a lot of people say ‘oh but you meet so many people’, it’s not related to that, it’s completely different from that. It followed me and I never knew what it was.
“And I would try a test. I would look at someone and then I would close my eyes and see if I could see their face in my head. And I couldn’t.’
Difficulties: Joanna explained how this condition has “followed” her, revealing that she gives herself “tests” to see if she can remember someone’s face in her head after looking at it
Interview: Vernon, 49, then apologized for not being informed, adding that he ‘didn’t know that was a thing’
Going on to talk about how Prosopagnosia has affected her, she shared, “I’ve been to parties where I’ve literally said ‘Do you want another glass of wine?’
“Leave, got the glass of wine, come back and I don’t know who I talked to, I can’t see who I talked to because their face is not registered.
‘Isn’t that strange. Sometimes I don’t know if I saw that person that day or if I should have seen them.
“I’m kissing so many strangers, they’re going to “get off!” And I go “look, do I know you? Was I married to you?” Who are you?” I literally don’t know!”
In addition to not recognizing people, prosopagnosia can also cause you to be unable to identify yourself in photos or in the mirror, or to feel like you know complete strangers.
Tough time: “I mean a lot of people say “oh but you meet so many people” it doesn’t have to do with that, it’s completely different from that. It followed me and I never knew what it was’
Last year, Brad Pitt spoke about his experience with the condition, admitting that “no one believes him” when he talks about it.
Those with the disorder cope by using alternate ways of recognizing people, such as remembering the way they walk, or their hairstyle, voice, or clothing.
It is believed to be the result of abnormalities, damage or dysfunction in the right fusiform gyrus – a fold in the brain that appears to coordinate face perception and memory.
Prosopagnosia can result from stroke, traumatic brain injury, or some neurodegenerative diseases, but in some cases it is present at birth.