Len Goodmanknown as chief judge on Dancing with the stars And Strictly come dancedied at the age of 78. The British professional ballroom dancer became a household name thanks to his witty sayings and no-nonsense approach to judging celebrities who took part in TV reality shows in both the UK and the US.
Born in London in 1944, Goodman began work as a dancer after being advised by doctors to take time off following a foot injury. After dancing as a form of therapy for the injury, Goodman turned professional and won numerous awards. He retired after winning the British Championship in his late twenties. After retiring, he took up coaching and was recognized for his contributions to the dance world.
In 2004, Goodman was approached by the BBC to take part in their reality show about the dance competition revival Come Dance. He appeared on the panel as a chief judge along with fellow dancers Arlene Phillips, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood. A year later, Dancing with the stars was launched in the US and Goodman again sat next to Tonioli and was joined by Carrie-Ann Inaba to head the judging panel. While many judges came and went on both shows, Goodman continued to appear consistently on both shows. He retired from the British show in 2016 and only announced season 31 of it last year Dancing with the stars would be his last season as he wanted to spend more time with family in the UK
Goodman’s agent, Jacki Gill, announced the star’s death in a statement that read:
“It is with great sadness to announce that Len Goodman passed away peacefully at the age of 78. A much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him.”
Dancing With The Stars will return for Season 32 later this year.
Dancing with the stars ended its 31st season in November 2022, with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and dance partner Mark Ballas lifting the trophy. The judges included Goodman, Inaba, Tonioli and Derek Hough, with the latter three all returning for the new season, but the show will also be back with former judge Julianne Hough as host after Tyra Banks’ departure at the end of the season. last season. The list of celebrities who will appear in the new season has started to be compiled, but so far nothing is known about who will take part in the competition this time.
Following Goodman’s death, tributes pour in from fans, friends and family, including some of his colleagues from his many years on both sides of the pond. BBC director-general Tim Davie who said Goodman was “a wonderful, warm entertainer who was adored by millions. He appealed to all ages and felt like a member of everyone’s family.” You can see some tributes to Goodman below, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this sad time.