It’s only been six weeks since we lost Dancing With The Stars judge and icon Len Goodman. The beloved dancer passed away on May 22, just three days shy of his 79th birthday, after losing his battle with bone cancer.
After 16 years as a judge on the dance competition show, most of the cast and crew considered Len part of the family. But even though they were close, he kept the severity of his illness to himself.
Despite having known Len since Derek was a 12-year-old ballroom dancer, the sometimes crusty Brit never shared how ill he really was. Derek was just as shocked as the rest of the DWTS family when Len passed.
A shocking death in the family
“We sensed his fragility, but we had no idea the extent of it,” Derek tearfully told Extra at the time. “This was a huge shock for all of us. He [was] a special guy, just a special guy. We lost somebody special.”
“He was just pure joy,” the three-time Emmy Award winner continued. “He was. I mean, what he represented and did for that show, for television, for all of us.”
Additionally, the dance pro talked about the experience of working with the former Strictly Come Dancing judge for so many years. “I remember just savoring every moment with him,” Derek said. “And I’m so grateful for that.”
“Hold my gaze”
Alongside a photo captioned, “Hold my gaze,” Derek penned a touching Instagram tribute to his friend. “Heartbroken by the news of our dear friend and mentor, Len Goodman,” he wrote. “It’s a gloomy morning here in Los Angeles, which seems fitting after this heartbreaking news.”
“But when I think back at the memories we shared with Len,” he continued, “his sense of humor, his smile, and charm, everything feels much brighter and full of sunshine. Still hard to fully process but filled with gratitude knowing I had the privilege of working beside this absolute legend. We will miss you dearly, Len. We love you ❤️ Rest In Peace, my friend.”
Sadly, Len most likely knew the end was coming and seemed to predict his own approaching death just months before his passing. He spoke about his father’s death, ironically also at 79.
“My dad had the right idea,” the longtime dancer said. “He loved gardening, and he had a stroke while he was out in the garden. He was 79. So if I go the way of my dad, that’ll be next year.”
Additionally, Len composed his own miniature obituary. He said, “Just write he was a dance teacher from Dartford who got lucky, because that’s just about the truth of it.”
Len retired from DWTS in November 2022 to spend more time with his wife, Sue, and his grandchildren, Alice and Jack.
Dancing With The Stars returns on ABC and live-streaming on Disney+ in September 2023.
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED BY LEN’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM DWTS? WERE YOU SHOCKED THAT HE PASSED AWAY SO SOON AFTER HIS RETIREMENT?
