Len Goodman was a ballroom dancer and instructor best known for his long tenure as a judge on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Strictly Come Dancing.”
- Died: April 22, 2023 (Who else died on April 22?)
- Details of death: Died in Kent, England of bone cancer at the age of 78.
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Len Goodman’s legacy
Though Len Goodman’s career was built on dance, he got a relatively late start, only beginning at the age of 19. Despite this, he spent much of his 20s winning success as a professional, earning a string of competition victories and closing out his 20s by winning the British Championships at Blackpool. He would then transition into dance instruction.
Goodman took a larger step into public life in 2004, when he became head judge on the BBC One dance competition show, “Strictly Come Dancing.” When the show was adapted the following year as “Dancing with the Stars” for ABC in the United States, Goodman was part of that team, too. He would end up becoming a mainstay on both, appearing on “Strictly Come Dancing” from 2004 to 2017 and on “Dancing with the Stars” from 2005 to 2022.
In addition to winning fans on these shows, Goodman appeared on a number of other television programs. These include “Len Goodman’s Partners in Rhyme,” “The Weakest Link,” and “Holiday of My Lifetime.” He also ran a ballroom dancing school and was an ambassador for the Your Personal Best campaign from GlaxoSmithKline in association with NHS London.
Notable quote
“The trouble when you die is that everyone says you were nice. I would like to be thought of as genuinely nice. I would like there to be people who can honestly say: ‘Len! Oh yeah, there was more good than bad in him.’”—2012 interview with The Guardian
Tributes to Len Goodman
Full obituary: Variety
