Although she wasn’t invited to be a part of the Len Goodman tribute (allegedly) on Dancing with the Stars, Cheryl Burke is honoring the late former judge with her own heartfelt, emotional message. Grab a tissue, because you’re gonna need it.
Ahead of the special memorial on the show, the former DWTS pro shared a video tribute on her Instagram. She talked about how the late icon of ballroom dancing shaped her career.
“Even though I am not in the ballroom tonight, I still want to express how much Len Goodman meant to me and his influence on my competitive career even before Dancing with the Stars,” she said. “There are not enough words to describe how he made such a huge impact on my life.”
Cheryl Burke’s Len Goodman tribute: Her favorite judge
Although Len, who passed away at 78 from bone cancer in April, was one of several judges Chery worked with, she would consistently and without hesitation name him her “favorite judge” whenever an interviewer asked.
Her touching tribute continued, “Mr. Len Goodman, thank you for being the face of ballroom dancing and always standing by what was right, no matter what.”
Cheryl added, “You are such a huge part of why Dancing with the Stars is a massive hit, as the premise is teaching celebrities how to ballroom dance. And the word ballroom before the word dance was all because of your many decades of knowledge and experience.”
She then praised his “no BS approach and tough love stance” and shared that Len’s respect and love for the art and sport of ballroom dancing showed her and millions worldwide who watched the show just how much he truly cared.
“I’m sure many will agree when I say that because of you, ballroom dancing was brought to mainstream television,” Cheryl said.
Making Len proud
Cheryl got emotional as she wiped away tears and said that her priority on DWTS was to make Len proud.
“Thank you for representing us ballroom dancers and never compromising what we stood for in the ballroom community. Thank you for changing my life and bringing joy to millions of people watching us throughout the years.”
Cheryl ended her message by sending love to Len’s family. She also sent love to all the pro dancers who were part of Len’s tribute. “I would like to send my love to Mr. Len Goodman’s family,” she concluded. “And love to all the pro dancers part of Len’s tribute. I know Len would give your performance an 11 if he could.”
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
TELL US – WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT LEN GOODMAN? DID YOU ENJOY THE DWTS TRIBUTE PERFORMANCE? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CHERYL’S TRIBUTE TO LEN?
