Leonard Gordon Goodman (25 April 1944 – 22 April 2023) was an English professional ballroom dancer, dance judge and coach.
Goodman died from bone cancer in a hospice in Royal Tunbridge Wells, on 22 April 2023; just three days before what would have been his 79th birthday. Fellow Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli wrote: “Heartbroken, my dear friend and partner for 19 years the one and only ballroom legend #lengoodman passed away. I will treasure the memory of our incredible adventures and hundreds of shows we did together @bbcstrictly @dancingwiththestars they will never be anyone like you, we will miss you.”
Len Goodman Personal Life
Len Goodman was born on April 25, 1944, in Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom. He celebrated his 78th birthday in April last year (2022). He was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, where celebrities compete for the glitter ball trophy, from its inception in 2004 to 2016 and on Dancing with the Stars from 2005 to 2022. He also ran a ballroom dance school in Dartford, Kent.
Len Goodman Career
Goodman was an apprentice welder for Harland and Wolff in Woolwich. He started dancing at the late age of 19, after his doctor recommended it as therapy for a foot injury.
Dancing with the Stars
Goodman was the sole head judge on Dancing with the Stars, the American adaptation of Strictly Come Dancing. She has appeared with fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli since the show’s inception, and alternated with fourth judges Julianne Hough and Derek Hough for five seasons. He did not appear as a judge in seasons 21 and 29, but presented short segments of dance routines in the final season.
In 2005, Goodman voiced a Professor in the five-time Emmy award-winning children’s program, Auto-B-Good.
In March and April 2012, Goodman hosted a three-part BBC One documentary that was broadcast in the United States by PBS for the 100th anniversary of the voyage and sinking of the RMS Titanic.
In November 2015, Goodman and chef Ainsley Harriott presented the BBC show Len and Ainsley’s Big Food Adventure, a 10-part series exploring world cuisine in England and Wales. Prior to the show, he had never eaten curry, spaghetti, or Chinese food before.
In 2017 Goodman presented a family game show called Partners in Rhyme, based on Matt Edmondson’s game, Obama Llama.
In October 2021, Goodman made a guest appearance in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as part of a dance episode when her voice was heard to resemble dance teacher Trish Minniver, played by Denise Welch.
Radio
Between 2013 and 2018 Goodman occasionally presented a Sunday afternoon music show on BBC Radio 2 during some of Paul O’Grady’s weeks off. Goodman played music that he grew up with. In 2021, he hosted 3 special public holiday shows for Boom Radio.
Filmography
- Strictly Come Dancing (2004–2016)
- Dancing with the Stars (2005–2022)
- Titanic with Len Goodman (2012)
- Len Goodman’s Dance Band Days (2013)
- Len Goodman’s Perfect Christmas (2013)
- Dancing Cheek to Cheek (2013)
- Secrets from the Clink (2014)
- Holiday of My Lifetime (2014–2016)
- Perspectives: For The Love of Fred Astaire (2015)
- Len and Ainsley’s Big Food Adventure (2015) (with Ainsley Harriott)
- Strictly Len Goodman (2016)
- Len Goodman’s Partners in Rhyme (2017)
Len Goodman Family
Len Goodman grandfather worked as a costermonger, selling fruit and vegetables. Young Len would be wheeled around in his grandfather’s barrow and was given the task of making sure the veg looked fresh. He moved to Blackfen when he was six years old and later attended Westwood Secondary Modern School, where he was a member of the cricket team.
Len Goodman Wife
In 1972, Goodman married Cherry Kingston, but they later divorced. A woman named Lesley, who he described as the ex-wife of a man named Wilf Pine who managed Black Sabbath, he then dated for a long time. The son of Goodman and Lesley, James William Goodman, was born on 26 January 1981, but moved back to his mother’s native Isle of Wight with his mother when he was 12 years old. James began dancing Latin and ballroom at his father’s Goodman Dance Center in 2012.
On 30 December 2012,Goodman married his companion of more than ten years, Sue Barrett, a 47-year-old dance teacher, in a small ceremony at Mosimann’s, a London dining club.
Len Goodman Children
Len Goodman is survived by a son named James William Goodman. The late professional dancer then had a long-term relationship with a woman named Lesley, and they had a son, James.
James William Goodman was born on January 26, 1981, but at the age of 12 he and his mother moved back home to the Isle of Wight after his parents divorced.
James followed in his father’s footsteps and trained as a dancer. She is a Latin and ballroom dancer and teaches at her father’s dance center, Goodman Dance Academy.
Len Goodman Physical Stats
Len Goodman stood at a height of 1.83 m and weighed around 80 kg
Len Goodman Net Worth
Before Len Goodman passed away, he had an estimated net worth of about $18 million. The popular TV star made such an amount from his long career as a professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach.
Latest News About Len Goodman
Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Len Goodman Dies at 78
Goodman’s manager confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday. The British ballroom dancer and judge, who had been diagnosed with bone cancer, died on April 22 at a hospice in Kent, surrounded by his family.
“It is with great sadness to announce that Len Goodman has passed away peacefully, aged 78,” said Goodman’s agent Jackie Gill in a statement. “A much-loved husband, father, and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him.”
Goodman was a mainstay as head judge on the popular BBC dance competition “Strictly Come Dancing” from its 2004 launch right up until 2016. He also served as a judge on the U.S. adaptation, “Dancing With the Stars” on ABC, from its launch in 2005 through to 2022.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said Goodman was “a great entertainer” who would be “missed by many.”
British broadcaster Esther Rantzen said Goodman had been “astonished and delighted” by his late-life fame.
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