After serving as a judge on ABC’s and now Disney+’s Dancing With the Stars for nearly every season since its inception in 2005, Len Goodman is set to retire from the show. Len Goodman has been a staple of the show’s judging panel since day one. He announced his retirement on the show Monday stating, “This will be my last season judging ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ I’ve been on the show since it started in 2005, and it has been a huge pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful show but I’ve decided I want to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain. It’s been such a wonderful experience for me and look forward so much to next week’s finale. I’m sure it’s going to be absolutely brilliant.”
Dancing With the Stars went on to tweet about Goodman’s retirement:
Giving the biggest thank you to Len Goodman for being a part of our #DWTS family for so many years! 💜 Wishing him nothing but the best as we celebrate his last season before retirement! pic.twitter.com/ho1z65Dsa8
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) November 15, 2022
Len Goodman, 78, previously was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 2004-2016. Dancing With the Stars premiered in 2005 with Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli at the judge’s table. New and guest judges have been added to the judge’s table, but these three have been consistently there.
On the Dancing with the Stars website, Goodman’s biography states that he is a professional dancer and dance teacher. He has dedicated his life to dance including teaching, choreographing, and adjudicating dance. He has won numerous awards for his work within the dance community. He also owns and operates a dance school in Kent, England named the Goodman Dance Academy.
The future of the judge’s table has not been addressed. Currently Derek Hough, a professional dancer, sits at the judge’s table with Inaba, Tonioli, and Goodman. With Goodman’s exit, a replacement or plan for guest judges has not been announced.
Will you miss Len Goodman on Dancing With the Stars? Let us know in the comments!
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