After a full and successful career as a professional ballroom dancer and teacher, 60-year-old Len Goodman was suddenly thrust into international stardom. As the head judge of both Britain’s Strictly Come Dancing, starting in 2004, followed by its American version, Dancing With the Stars, in 2005, he brought his passion and knowledge for dance to millions around the world.

Goodman was known for his skewering criticism and high expectations; he could be harsh, not out of disdain or bitterness, but out of a genuine love and passion for the craft of ballroom dancing. Hundreds of mediocre performances were on the receiving end of his unfailingly British one-liners, such as “Your bum was bouncing around like a ball on a roulette wheel!” But pairs were always ecstatic to receive “a 10 from Len!” on the rare occasions when he was truly impressed.

Long before Len Goodman danced with — and judged — the stars, he himself was a star in the world of dance. Born in 1944, Goodman grew up in southern England, near London. His path to the ballroom was somewhat unexpected. Goodman trained as a shipyard welder but dreamed of being a soccer player until he suffered a foot injury at age 19. A doctor recommended dance as part of his rehab, and he discovered a new passion. He soon became a professional alongside partner and first wife Cherry Kingston. Len’s precise and highly technical movements earned him accolades, awards, and ballroom dance championships, including wins at Duel of the Giants, British Rising Stars, four British Exhibition Championships, and the World Exhibition Championships.

After retiring from professional competition at 28, he founded the Goodman Dance Academy in his home county of Kent, where he guided and inspired hundreds of young dancers in ballroom and Latin American styles, helping them to master dances like the waltz, samba, quickstep, tango, slow foxtrot, and cha-cha.

Goodman retired from Strictly in 2016 and from Dancing With the Stars in 2022. He passed away from bone cancer in April 2023, surrounded by his second wife, Sue, son James, and grandchildren Alice and Dan.

Bruno’s Best Mate

“For many, many years, we used to do performances on Saturday nights in London [with Strictly Come Dancing], get on the plane on Sunday and do the [DWTS] shows here Monday, Tuesday, and fly back on Thursday for 11 weeks. Len and I were in the same apartment block. And here’s one thing about Len: He can’t cook, but he’s a great ironer. He can iron beautifully, and I cannot iron. So, we had a deal, because we were so busy. ‘I’ll cook you a meal; you iron all of my shirts.’ We used to laugh so much. I miss him. I love him. Oh, he was brilliant. He would iron to perfection.” —Bruno Tonioli

Julianne’s Longtime Mentor 

Adam Taylor / ABC

“Derek and I grew up with Len Goodman. I was 10 years old. Derek was 12, 13, [when we were] growing up in London. Len was the king of the ballroom world. To have witnessed what ballroom dancing is all about, and then for him to show up on this show that nobody was really prepared for in America and set the tone of what this world encompasses — it’s been such an honor to follow his journey and, hopefully, continue his legacy.

If you got a 10 from Len, it was just the most amazing thing. I remember there was one episode that I had performed in, and he gave me a 6 or something. Later, we were backstage, and he was like, ‘It was better than that.’ And so, there was this hidden little ‘You did good.’ It was a joy to then sit next to him at the table and banter and disagree for fun, but then also really agree with everything he had to say.” —Julianne Hough

Carrie Ann’s Sweet Recollections

“I miss Len so much. My favorite memories of him were when we disagreed, because Len Goodman and I come from complete opposite ends of the spectrum of life, and our point of view on dance usually was very different. What was always so beautiful is we would agree to disagree, and we would go at it. And then during a commercial break, [we’d give] big hugs, because it was all in the name of respecting each other, the art form, and where we came from. I miss those moments where we’d give each other a little high five under the table or a little elbow and go, ‘Good job.’ I think he’s still with us. Even as we head into our 20th year, Len Goodman’s spirit will be there — even into the 30th and 40th and 50th.” —Carrie Ann Inaba

Derek’s Heart-Wrenching Retrospective

Adam Taylor /ABC

“Len was, and still is, the heart of the show. You could disagree with him. You could not like what he said, but you always respected him. If you were a fan of Dancing With the Stars, you were a fan of Len Goodman. When we walk on that dance floor, he’s forever there. His legacy is so powerful. One of my fondest memories was in the last season I got to spend with him. I spent a lot of extra time with him in his trailer, talking, just spending time together. It was our last day on set, and he came up to me and said, ‘Oh, Derek, my hero.’ And he said, ‘I just want to let you know, this is my last season, but I feel good that you’re here and I feel like I can go now.’ And at the time, I didn’t know what was going on in his life personally, but…that just meant so much to me. I remember him giving me a little portrait of himself, and he wrote on it, ‘Derek, technique is like peeing down your leg. You think it’s hot, but nobody else does.’ And I don’t know what that means to this day [Laughs], but it was a perfect and heartfelt and Len Goodman thing to say that I will cherish forever.” —Derek Hough

Alfonso’s Fond Impression

“My favorite memory with Len isn’t even from the show. I would see him on the golf course — Len was an avid golfer, and so am I. I went to his golf club, and we got to play a few holes together. To see Len outside of ‘grumpy old Len,’ but instead happy Len — this was the year before he left us. And so, being able to spend time off set with him was truly incredible. He was the backbone of the show. He controlled it, and he was just an incredible man and one that we miss every day. What’s always been fun for me is watching the professional dancers as they’re choreographing, recognizing that yes, Len’s no longer there to critique it the way that he would on camera, but yet they still talk about making sure that the routines would be ‘Len Goodman–approved.’ And that, to me, shows you how important he was to this show.” —Alfonso Ribeiro

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34 Premiere, Tuesday, September 16, 8/7c, ABC

For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.