Len Goodman dies aged 78: Strictly star passed away peacefully in a hospice
Len Goodman has died of bone cancer at the age of 78, MailOnline can reveal.
The beloved Strictly Come Dancing judge had been in a hospice in Tunbridge Wells in Kent after a short illness.
He died on Saturday night – just six months after his retirement. Tomorrow he would have turned 79.
A spokeswoman for Len told MailOnline: “I can confirm he passed away peacefully over the weekend surrounded by his family,” adding that he was “a much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and everyone who knew him. ‘.
The former head judge of Strictly Come Dancing from its launch in 2004 until 2016, Len was extremely popular with fans for his knowledge and wry humor. He was a professional dancer and teacher who became a national treasure after auditioning for Strictly aged 60 – when most people want to retire.
In addition to Strictly, he also appeared on the US version of the show, Dancing With the Stars from 2005 to November 2022, where he was last seen on TV, stating that he was retiring to spend more time with his wife Sue and his grandchildren. .
In December, Len revealed how he’s been spending his Saturday nights since retirement – yelling at the TV while watching Strictly and especially Craig Revel Horwood – or “bl**dy Craig” as Len called him.
Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars chief judge Len Goodman, pictured with his wife Sue Barrett, has died aged 78
Len’s last appearance on Dancing with the Stars in the US last November
While Len liked to give an A on Strictly, millions across the country knew him best for the way he gave a seven to dancers during his 12 years on the show.
Len retired last year and said he wanted to spend more time with his wife Sue and his grandchildren. Pictured: Len with his grandson Jack
It is believed that Len died in a hospice in Tunbridge Wells after a short illness.
He told the Mail after his retirement: ‘My dad had the right idea too. He loved gardening and suffered a stroke while in the garden. He was 79, so if I follow my father’s path, it will be next year.’
He seems amazingly cheerful about this. He says maybe I could write his obituary. Blimey, Len, not yet. What would I write anyway?
“Just write, ‘He was a lucky dance teacher from Dartford,'” he says. “Because that’s pretty much the truth.”
His death is mourned by leading figures in showbiz after a stellar six-decade career.
Born in London on 25 April 1944, he began his working life as an apprentice welder at Harland and Wolff in Woolwich, and wanted to become a footballer.
He didn’t start dancing until he was 20, after his doctor recommended it to help him recover from a foot injury.
He turned professional and enjoyed a successful competitive dancing career, including winning Dual of the Giants, British Rising Stars, The British Exhibition Championships (four times) and the World Exhibition Championships in the early 1970s.
After his retirement he founded the Goodman Dance Academy in Kent. He was an examiner for the National Association of Teachers of Dance, a Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, and a judge for the World Dance Council.
His unparalleled knowledge of Latin and Ballroom, as well as his penchant for well-turned metaphors, made him a favorite with millions of Strictly fans in later years, where his signature catchphrase of “Seven!” points are heard long after he leaves the program.
Len made a large number of TV and radio appearances in the UK and was also a very successful presenter on several shows, playing on the Strictly Live Tour for many years.
He produced many DVDs for the dance education industry and an instructional DVD for the general public called ‘Dance With Len Goodman’
He published his autobiography ‘Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom’ in 2009, which was followed by two other books, ‘Len’s Lost London’ and ‘Dancing Around Britain’.
Last November, on Dancing With The Stars, he announced that at the end of that series, he would put up his score sheet for the last time, telling viewers, “This will be my last season judging Dancing With the Stars.”
‘I’ve been with the show since it started in 2005, and it’s been a great pleasure to be a part of such a great show, but I’ve decided I want to spend more time with my grandchildren and family in Britain . Goodman added.
Len Goodman, age 25, dancing with Cherry Kingston in 1970
His last words on TV were: ‘He was a lucky dance teacher from Dartford. ‘Cause that’s pretty much the truth of it’
He recently said he laughs every time he thinks about how he auditioned for Strictly on his 60th birthday, a time when most people would be thinking about retirement.
Len Goodman has only been retired for a few weeks, but he’s discovered a new hobby: yelling at the television while Strictly is on
Len became a household name for a generation of fans after joining Strictly, but he was also a celebrated dancer as a younger man
Goodman was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2009 and was treated surgically at a London hospital.
In September 2021, it was reported that he had surgery for minor facial melanoma the previous year.
Previously, Len was married to his dance partner, Cherry Kingston, but they were later divorced. He then had a long-term relationship with a woman named Lesley and they had a son, James.
He told the Mail last year that he was still itching to audition for Strictly on his 60th birthday, a time when most people would be thinking about retirement. He still had a mortgage and his dance school, he says, only made a small profit.
Then the big ball of glitter appeared from the sky, “and it changed my life.”
‘I remember coming home [my wife] Sue says: ‘They want to pay me £1,000 per episode and they pick me up in a car and take me back home.’
He ruled the helm of Strictly for 12 years, then was lured into the glossier, American version, Dancing With The Stars. It was an unlikely export product, but he quickly won them over.
“Some of the things I came out with confused them [The Americans] a little. I remember I said, “Give it some water,” and they said, “Willy?” What’s a penis?’ But someone said to me, early doors, ‘Be yourself and be honest’ and I’ve stuck to that as much as you can.”