…Researched and contributed by Jack Sylva for TDPel Media.
Len Goodman, the former head judge on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars, passed away on April 22 after a short battle with bone cancer.
Before he became a judge, Goodman was a professional ballroom dancer, starting in his early twenties and retiring in his late twenties.
In a May 2021 episode of the That’s After Life! podcast with Dame Esther Rantzen and Adrian Mills, Goodman revealed that he started ballroom dancing “for girls.”
When a friend of his asked him to go to the pictures, the friend declined, saying he wanted to go ballroom dancing because “there’s about five boys and about 40 girls.”
Goodman joked that it was only girls that got him dancing, and that the ballroom was “full of beautiful girls” with most of the boys being gay.
Goodman’s Reason for Starting Ballroom Dancing Was a Little Unconventional
Goodman’s remarks about ballroom dancing reveal a fun and cheeky side of the former professional dancer.
While he is best known for his time as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars, his start in the world of ballroom dancing shows a different side of him.
Goodman’s ability to laugh at himself and share stories from his past endeared him to fans of the shows he judged.
His passing is a loss for the dance community and he will be remembered fondly by many.