Former judge of popular show “Dancing With the Stars” Len Goodman, passed away at age 78. The management of the English dancing expert said he passed away on Saturday at a hospice facility in Kent, southern England, after a long fight with bone cancer.
Goodman’s manager Jackie Gill told CNN on Monday, “His family surrounded him.” Goodman entered the world in 1944 in London and Website claims he began dancing professionally at age 19, long before he tried his hand at television.
Goodman was the lead judge on “Strictly Come Dancing” (the British equivalent of DWTS) on the BBC from its start in 2004 until the Christmas Day special of 2016. After he left, Shirley Ballas took up the position.
Among the many eulogies, BBC director-general Tim Davie described Goodman as a “wonderful, warm performer who was liked by millions.” “He charmed to all ages and felt like a member of everyone’s family,” Davie said. Len was a must to the success of Strictly. The public and his many companions and family will miss him deeply.
Tweeting a touching photo of themselves together, “Dancing With The Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli wrote, “Hart broke my close companion and collaborated for 19 years the one and sole ballroom LEGEND #LenGoodman passed away I will cherish every moment of our adventures @bbcstrictly @officialdwts there won’t be anyone like you your will always be my perfect 10.”
Outside of his time spent on television, Goodman served as the director of the Goodman Dance Academy in Kent. In addition to his memoirs “Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom,” published in 2009, he is the author of “Dancing Around Britain” and “Lost London.”