Len Goodman: Details About The Late Dancing With The Stars Judge
"He was a dance teacher from Dartford who got lucky." These were the words the late "Dancing with the Stars" judge Len Goodman used to describe his legacy in a December 2022 conversation with the Irish Daily Mail. It was a truth Goodman held close to his heart, one which was made possible by a last-minute adjustment to the 2004 pilot episode of the British competition "Strictly Come Dancing," simply known as "Strictly." Created at a time when ballroom dancing wasn't a familiar pop culture concept, the show's production team was put in a tight spot when, out of its four-judge panel, one quit. "Have you tried Len Goodman? He's just a dance teacher from Dartford, but he's a bit of a character," ex-New Zealand winner Erin Boag suggested, per BBC News.
Goodman was hesitant about the role, but he took it anyway. At 60, he was thrust into the limelight in a big way. And when the chance to appeal to the American audience on "Dancing with the Stars" came around, he didn't miss a beat. Goodman rode the wave for 17 years, finally announcing his exit in November 2022. Barely half a year into retirement, Len Goodman sadly died in April 2023 after a bone cancer diagnosis. He was 78.
Here are the finer details of the late judge's life, a testament to the fact that there's no such thing as starting too late.
His family sold groceries to make a living
Len Goodman had a humble start in Bethnal Green, an East End of London neighborhood that gained prominence in the 19th century for silk weaving. Life in Bethnal Green wasn't a comfortable one. In addition to post-WWII political unrest, there wasn't much cash in sight. Regardless, a lot of warmth clouded Goodman's family. In his own words, per BBC News, "[We had] lots of love and laughter, but very little money."
Goodman and his parents lived with his maternal grandparents, and his kin made ends meet by selling groceries off of a wheeled cart. Soon enough, Goodman's grandfather — who'd initially used a golden timepiece as collateral at the start of the week in order to stock the family business — opened two stores and acquired a similar shop located in Kent, South East England. The latter was operated by Goodman's mother following his parents' divorce.
Meanwhile, the "Dancing with the Stars" judge's grandfather's lingo found its way to his grandson, and many years later, became Goodman's staple. "He was the one that gave me so many funny sayings, some of which I've even used when critiquing dancers on the television," he wrote in his 2013 book "My Lost London: A Personal Journey" (via the Mirror).
Len Goodman's dream was to become a soccer player
In high school, Len Goodman played cricket and soccer. His love for soccer continued after he was done with school, eventually landing him a spot on the Slade Green United team. His professional sports dreams, however, were cut short by an injury in his late teens. "I broke a metatarsal bone in my foot — the same one that every other footballer seems to break these days," Goodman shared in "My Lost London." "I kicked the ball north while at the same time the biggest center-half in the world tried to kick the ball south (well that's my story and I'm sticking to it). The outcome was my foot went west and I was in agony for weeks."
His foot healed at a snail's pace. At the suggestion of a stand-in doctor, Goodman joined a ballroom dance class to speed up his recovery. Erith Dance Studio was the foundation the future "Dancing with the Stars" judge needed to begin his life's work, thanks to his then-girlfriend. Although his football aspirations never saw the light of day, Goodman enjoyed cricket and soccer on the sidelines as a fan and gained notoriety for his fondness of West Ham United F.C.
He became a dance teacher
Weeks after he got started as a ballroom dancer, Len Goodman quickly discovered that his level of skill was above average. While he may have been a late bloomer at the age of 19, he made the most out of the craft. After eight years of active dancing, Goodman called it a day and began his own school after he won the British Championships.
"I absolutely love teaching," Goodman shared with The Guardian in 2006. "I've taught every standard from world champion to beginners and my favorite are people off the street and children, and I do those classes if I can."
His priority, he explained, was to take the seriousness away from dancing and allow his students to bask in the joy of the moment. If they mastered the skill as well, it was an icing on the cake. When "Strictly Come Dancing" came knocking, the same sequence showed itself. "The celebrities come on and they're a bit reluctant and shy, and you get to see this metamorphosis happen," he added, noting how these once-rigid stars gradually became alive when they immersed themselves in the fun side of rehearsals. "It's lovely," Goodman said.
Strictly Come Dancing was life-changing for Len Goodman
At an age when most people were considering retirement, Len Goodman was just getting started. Joining "Strictly Come Dancing" was a life-changing experience, socially and financially. "I remember coming home to [my wife] Sue saying: 'They want to pay me £1,000 ... an episode and they will pick me up in a car, and take me home again,'" Goodman revealed in his chat with the Irish Daily Mail.
It was a much welcome shift, one which Goodman never took for granted. In 2014, the television sensation pledged his allegiance to the show. "Without them ['Strictly'] coming along and asking me to be one of the judges, I would never have done anything," Goodman told the press, per Digital Spy. "And so I feel a loyalty towards the BBC. I will do 'Strictly' as long as they want me." Two years later, however, Goodman was out. His December 2016 exit brought a resounding end to a 12-year run as head judge.
He postponed his Dancing with the Stars retirement for years
Although he eventually hung up his boots from "Dancing with the Stars" in November 2022, Len Goodman had hinted at leaving the show earlier. In 2014, Goodman told Digital Spy and other reporters that he wouldn't be going back and forth between the United States and the United Kingdom anymore for both iterations of the dance show. He was prioritizing family commitments instead. "I've got my wife, I've got my son, my mother is still alive and she's in hospital — I've had virtually no time to go and visit her," Goodman shared. "So, I just need a bit of time off to get on with a normal life."
True to his word, Goodman was missing in action during the 21st season of "DWTS." The once four-judge desk was down to three; pioneers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, and Julianne Hough, who joined the team in 2019. During the show's 29th season, Goodman went on a second hiatus.
When he finally took a bow, Goodman expressed gratitude for the years he'd been part of the "Dancing with the Stars" squad. "It's been a huge pleasure to be a huge part of such a wonderful show," the then-78-year-old judge said, per Deadline. "I cannot thank you enough, the 'DWTS' family. It has been such a wonderful experience for me."
Len Goodman was an all-round on-air personality
Although he was famed for being a judge on "Dancing with the Stars," Len Goodman was a multi-talented on-air personality who worked on other shows. In the early to mid-2000s, he voiced the light blue automobile repairer Professor in the Emmy-winning animated series "Auto-B-Good." Goodman was also a commentator in the pan-European competition "Eurovision Dance Contest" in 2007 and had multiple stints on radio, including BBC Radio 2 and Boom Radio.
In 2012, he hosted "Titanic with Len Goodman," a documentary whose roots he was partially attached to. Goodman's history with the world-famous ship dated way back to the '60s when he had a welding job at the Harland & Wolff shipyard. "This was the company that had built Titanic 50 years earlier, not in east London, but in east Belfast," he wrote in a BBC News essay. "So, while it's a small but personal link to the ship, it was more than enough to prick my curiosity to want to find out more."
Goodman's entertainment career was not short of recognition either. In 2006 and 2007, he earned an Emmy nomination alongside the cast and crew of "Dancing with the Stars." Meanwhile, the U.K.'s "Strictly Come Dancing" landed him a National Television Award nomination in the most popular TV judge category in 2017.
His first marriage 'ended in tears'
At 28, Len Goodman married Cherry Kingston, his dance partner. As written in his 2008 memoir "Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom" (via the Daily Mail), the union came to a bitter halt and "ended in tears," with Goodman admitting, "And it wasn't as if I hadn't been warned." For starters, Goodman's father delivered a parable on incompatibility when the future star announced his intention to marry. Then, his father had a heart attack, which warranted surgery, just a couple of weeks before the nuptials. Although shelving the wedding for his dad's health was a valid option, the couple's plans reigned supreme.
Next, they showed up to rehearsals, only to discover that no announcement of the wedding day had been made prior, per church protocol. As if last-minute scraping wasn't taxing enough, the reception venue had unexpected news: its kitchen had been set ablaze. On the big day itself, Goodman had to leave his guests mid-ceremony to attend to his dad's medical emergency.
Years later, Goodman learned that although he and Kingston shared a love for dancing, it wasn't enough. She allegedly cheated with an acquaintance, and while she was on a Parisian trip with the man in question, Goodman unceremoniously moved her out. "Over the next two days, I took everything of Cherry's that I could possibly think of — all of her clothes, jewelry, records, a nest of tables her mother had given her, and laid everything out neatly on her mother's front lawn," Goodman wrote. Before long, the former lovebirds' divorce process began.
Len Goodman's son was born in 1981
It wasn't long following his divorce from Cherry Kingston before Len Goodman took another chance at love. Goodman and his newfound sweetheart, Lesley Pine, were worlds apart, with differences as many as they came. "It became clear we were like chalk and cheese," he disclosed in "Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom." "I am a scatterbrain, always up for a lark, whereas she was quiet, sensible and about to start training to become a nurse."
But somehow, they clicked. With time, Goodman was smitten in a way he had never been before. Pine, who had just as much affection for the future "Dancing with the Stars" judge, set aside her nursing dreams to help him manage his dance school. When Goodman was in his m d-30s, she hit him with the news that they were expecting. "I was 36 and quite happy with my life and wasn't at all sure I wanted the responsibility," Goodman wrote. "That changed almost instantly when, at 9:25 pm on Monday, January 26, 1981, James William Goodman came into the world."
In the end, the longtime relationship between Pine and Goodman turned strenuous because of his work schedule, and the more it worsened, the clearer it became that separation was a better option.
He married Sue Barrett in 2012
Long after Len Goodman and Lesley Pine had broken up, he ran into his future second wife, dance teacher Sue Barrett. She was the final piece of the puzzle that fit, and as Goodman put it in his memoir "Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom," "I fell for her. It's a funny old world and sometimes things come along when you're least expecting it, which is exactly what happened to us."
After over a decade together, Barrett and Goodman tied the knot in 2012. It was a subtle ceremony, with 30 guests in attendance — and it turned out that Goodman had pulled a fast one on friends and family by luring them into pretend lunch. "I wanted it to be a low-key affair, so we didn't tell anyone except my 96-year-old mum as I didn't want her having a heart attack with the surprise," he told the Daily Mail.
His proposal, Goodman jokingly noted, had been creative for a man his age, going on to explain how a staircase came in handy in lieu of kneeling, with Barrett standing a few steps ahead to tower above him. Just like Barrett's choice to live her life out of the spotlight, their actual vows were said intimately in the presence of a registrar.
Len Goodman gave back through charity
Len Goodman dedicated a good chunk of his time toward philanthropic causes. In a 2019 interview with "This Morning," he termed the decision as the best way to put his golden years to use. "Now, I don't do so much," he said of work. "I wanna do things to help the community if I can. So I try to do charity things a lot." Help communities he did, by serving as the vice president of Demelza. Through the not-for-profit organization, Goodman helped raise funds to aid children with severe chronic illnesses.
Prior to his death, Goodman committed to dedicating a percentage of his fortune to philanthropy through his will. It was an initiative synonymous with Remember a Charity, a non-profit with which he worked. "I sat down with my wife and my son, and we had a little chit-chat and I said, 'I'd like to leave something to different charities,'" he shared with "This Morning," adding, "Obviously, I've taken care of my family, I've taken care of my friends. And then, even a small amount makes a huge difference."
He had a minor skin cancer surgery
Len Goodman had two serious diagnoses. In 2020, the Melanoma Fund — a United Kingdom not-for-profit organization — revealed that the "Dancing with the Stars" judge had undergone surgery to remove cancerous cells from his face. "Len Goodman has asked us to keep 'spreading the word' re. sun protection for golf. ... He wanted us to use this image to inspire others to take the issue seriously," they wrote on Facebook, alongside the above picture of Goodman wearing a white cap while pointing to a minor dressing next to his eye.
Goodman had also previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He addressed his health history through the Irish Daily Mail, brushing it off as just another slice in the pie of wholesome living, albeit unfavorable. "I don't make a fuss about stuff like that," he remarked. "It's like when you have a car — you keep it serviced, but even so, you'll have some trouble with your carburetor, and you'll need to get it fixed, and eventually the whole thing will conk out, and there you go."
The DWTS judge took a pause after a knee replacement
In a 2018 FlexiSEQ campaign dubbed "Let's Get Moving," Len Goodman opened up more on his health journey. "I've had to have a knee replacement because of arthritis," he disclosed. "This year, in January, I had a rotator cuff shoulder injury, and the surgeon said, 'Having the operation is 20%, the other 80% is exercise and looking after your joints.'"
Following the medical procedures, Goodman was worried that the healing process would stop him from playing golf, a sport that once landed him on a breakfast table with the world's most famous golfer, Tiger Woods. He took a pause but was back on the golf course two months earlier than projected.
The "Dancing with the Stars" judge credited his recovery to exercise and physiotherapy. "I took that to heart, and I exercised every day. Starting with my shoulder, I was using resistance training and swimming. Then when I had my knee done, I started off just walking in water and swinging my leg," he narrated. As he got older, Goodman ditched heavy weights at the gym for lighter exercises to keep his active life going.
Len Goodman made a prediction about his death in 2022
In his candid talk with the Irish Daily Mail, Len Goodman somehow foretold his death. "My dad had the right idea," Goodman revealed. "... 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." Sadly, he wasn't far off from the truth. In April 2023, the public was informed that Goodman had died just three days before his 79th birthday. His manager, Jackie Gill, stated to BBC News that the late "Dancing with the Stars" judge was a family man whose absence would be felt by those whose hearts he touched.
Indeed, upon the news of his passing, Goodman's "DWTS" co-judges shared warm tributes in remembrance of his life. "Hart broken my dear friend and partner for 19 years the one and only ballroom LEGEND #LenGoodman passed away I will treasure the memories of our adventures," Bruno Tonioli wrote in part on Twitter. Carrie Ann Inaba paid a tribute to their journey through the years with a tear-jerking montage on Instagram, while Julianne Hough, who'd first crossed paths with Goodman as a 10-year-old, chronicled his influence on her life as a student-turned-teacher.
"The wisdom, playfulness, and class that radiated from you touched all of us with such impact," Hough wrote in part on social media, adding, "You're a legend and left a beautiful legacy."