DWTS’ Len Goodman Dead At 78: Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli And More Pay Tribute

When it comes to dancing royalty on the small screen, one wouldn’t be wrong for jumping immediately to Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars vet Len Goodman, who spent much of the past 20 years bringing his 55 years of professional expertise to audiences around the globe. Sadly, the news spread early Monday morning that Goodman died over the weekend at the age of 78. 

Having suffered from bone cancer, Len Goodman passed away on Saturday, April 22, while in hospice in the UK — specifically, in Tunbridge Wells, Kent — and was said to be surrounded by family. His manager Jackie Gill shared the following statement with the BBC on Monday morning:

Goodman served as a head judge on Strictly Come Dancing from its first year on, and stayed in the position from 2004-2016, at which point he bowed out. Across the pond here in the States, he served as the head judge from the first season in 2005 through 2022, albeit missing out on Season 21 and Season 29 along the way. He officially retired after Season 31, stating that he would be spending more time with family.

And to be expected, his death drew many reactions from those he’d sat side by side with for many of those years. Below is an Instagram post from longtime DWTS judge Bruno Tonioli:

Like Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba has been behind the judges' table for all 31 seasons that have aired so far, and will be back for Season 32, which is losing Tyra Banks as host, with series vet Julianne Hough rejoining as co-host with Alfonso Ribeiro. Below is Inaba's Instagram video-and-picture montage paying tribute to Goodman, along with a sweet message. 

Craig Revel Horwood, the longest-serving judge on Strictly Come Dancing, shared the following on Twitter:

Quite perfectly, Horwood's post sparked a response from the profile @Fact with some of Len Goodman's most memorable quotes from his many years giving out 10s and...less than 10s. 

• “Your bum was bouncing around like a ball on a roulette wheel."
• “It was like a match. Hot at the top, wooden at the bottom."
• "It was like watching a stork who had been struck by lightning."
• "You flew across the floor like a rampant crab."

Piers Morgan also took to Twitter to share some kind words for Len Goodman, as well as a shot of the two of them cutting a rug. 

While it's rather difficult to find past seasons of Dancing with the Stars online, one can stream the entirety of Season 31 with a Disney+ subscription.

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Len Goodman during this time of mourning.