Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Len Goodman Died At 78

Len Goodman Died: At the age of 78, Len Goodman, who was most known for serving as a judge on “Dancing With the Stars,” passed away.

His manager told the BBC that he passed away at a hospice in Kent, England, with his family by his side.

Len Goodman, a judge on “Dancing With the Stars,” passed away at the age of 78.

The former professional ballroom dancer who served as the lead judge for the ABC/Disney+ series starting in 2005 passed away on Saturday. It was bone cancer.

In a statement to the BBC on Monday, Len Goodman’s manager, Jackie Gill, said: “It is with great sadness that I announce Len Goodman has passed away peacefully, aged 78.”

Family, friends, and everyone who knew him will miss this devoted husband, father, and grandfather very much.

Goodman, who would have turned 79 on Tuesday, had been residing at a hospice in Kent, England, before passing away.

Goodman served as a judge for “Strictly Come Dancing,” the UK edition of the competition, in addition to “DWTS,” from 2004 to 2016.

Goodman, who was born on April 25, 1944, in London, England, started dancing at the age of 19 after his doctor suggested it as a kind of treatment for a foot injury. He was working as an apprentice welder at the time.

“I really didn’t want to go; I made a big fuss over it. But after a few weeks, I realized how much I enjoyed it. I discovered I had some aptitude for it,” he said to The Guardian in 2006.

Before retiring to work as a professional judge and teacher, Goodman won the British Championships in his late 20s. In the English town of Dartford, he ran his own dancing school.

He received the request to join the judging panel of “Strictly Come Dancing,” a new show on the BBC that sought to popularize ballroom competition dancing, when he was instructing ballroom and Latin there in 2004.

The BBC claims that Goodman was only cast a few days before the show was recorded because a well-known dance industry figure had abruptly backed out.

Erin Boag, a former New Zealand champion, recommended Goodman, albeit it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

According to the site, she asked, “Have you tried Len Goodman?” He’s only a dancing instructor from Dartford, but he has some personality.

Boag was right, though, and Goodman’s outsized personality helped him become a huge favorite with viewers.

The following year, he was asked to join the judging panel for the American version of “Dancing with the Stars.” Over the course of more than 15 years and 30 seasons, he was the show’s head judge.

Goodman declared in November 2022 that after the competition’s 31st season, he will formally step down from his position as head judge.

Goodman announced the announcement during the season 31 semifinal, noting that it had been a “huge pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful show,” but that he had made the decision “to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain.”

Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough, his fellow judges, were brought to tears by his words, and the audience in the ballroom gave him a standing ovation.

Both Goodman’s son James William Goodman, whom he had with an ex-partner in 1981, and his wife Sue Barrett, whom he wed in 2012, are left to carry on his legacy.

He has already had two close calls with cancer. In 2009, he received treatment for prostate cancer, and in 2020, he had surgery to remove a tiny face melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Follow Chopnews to get updated with trending and latest news.