Summary

  • Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman has died at the age of 78

  • Tributes are pouring in for the dancer who found national fame late in life when Strictly launched in 2004

  • Strictly Judge Craig Revel Horwood called him a "gorgeous colleague and dear friend", adding: "'It's a ten from Len & seveeeeern' will live with me forever"

  • Host Tess Daly also referenced the "seveeeeern" catchphrase in her tribute, saying "You were never a seven, you were always a 10"

  • Goodman's agent described him as a "much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him"

  • Goodman was a judge from the first series of Strictly in 2004 until 2016, when he left the show to concentrate solely on the US version, Dancing with the Stars

  1. Thanks for joining uspublished at 17:33 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Alys Davies
    BBC News Live reporter

    Len GoodmanImage source, PA Media

    We're bringing our coverage of the death of Strictly judge and ballroom dancer Len Goodman to a close.

    Thank you for joining us as we looked back at Goodman's colourful life and took in the many tributes made to the star.

    You can read more on Goodman's life here. And more on the tributes paid to him here.

    Despite Goodman's fame in both the UK and the US, his East End roots never left him, and so it seems fitting to leave you with one of his many well-remembered observations as a Strictly judge:

    Quote Message

    You're just like a trifle - fruity at the top but a little bit spongy down below.

    Len Goodman

    This page was written by Sam Hancock, Krystyna Gajda, Adam Durbin and Nichola Rutherford. And it was edited by Jamie Whitehead, Jeremy Gahagan and myself.

  2. A look back at today's eventspublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    This page is going to close soon but before then, here's a recap of our coverage.

    It was announced today that Len Goodman, 78, had died over the weekend at a hospice in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, surrounded by his family.

    Tributes have since poured in from the likes of Strictly Come Dancing co-host Claudia Winkleman, who called Goodman "a class act", as well as former judges Dame Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli.

    Fellow Strictly host Tess Daly said: “You were never a seven for me, Len. You were always a 10” - a reference to his famous “Seveeeeeen” catchprase on the dancing show.

    Former contestants of the show, as well as Goodman's colleagues from the US version of the programme Dancing with the Stars, have also remembered one of the UK’s best known ballroom dancers.

    Needless to say, we haven't been short of kind words to bring you from a range of people.

  3. 'Another national treasure gone'published at 17:24 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    More Strictly contestants have been speaking warmly of their impressions of Goodman this afternoon.

    Eastenders actor Jake Wood, who took part in Strictly in 2014, speaks vividly about meeting him backstage at Elstree Studios, with 15 minutes to go to the show.

    Writing on Twitter, external, he describes being very nervous. But, he says, they connected over a joke and a smile.

    Quote Message

    Another national treasure gone. RIP mate.

    Jake Wood, Strictly competitor, 2014

    Jake Wood and Janette ManraraImage source, Guy Levy/BBC
    Image caption,

    Jake Wood and Janette Manrara dance on Strictly in 2014

    Comedian Julian Clary remembers Goodman’s kindness combined with honesty.

    He writes on Twitter, external: “When I was in the final of Strictly, [Goodman] said: 'We've got two thoroughbreds and a Shetland pony.'"

    Another Strictly competitor, Jeremy Vine, puts the show’s success down to Goodman, saying his journey from welder to dancer, external destroyed the idea that ballroom dancing was “only for toffs”.

    And Robert Rinder, better known as TV's Judge Rinder, remembers Goodman as "a rare gentleman" who was "kind, charming, exacting, encouraging". Referring to his time as a contestant on Strictly, Rinder says of Goodman: "It’s a 10 from us all."

    Robert Rinder and Oksana Platero on Strictly in 2016
  4. An absolute legend - dancer Derek Houghpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Derek Hough (R) performs with partner Emma Slater in 2013Image source, Getty Images

    Derek Hough, a former professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, has joined others in paying tribute to Goodman - who was head judge on the US show until 2022.

    Hough says his heart is broken by the death of "dear friend" and "mentor" Goodman.

    Alongside a photo and video of the two posted on Twitter, Hough writes: "Still hard to fully process but filled with gratitude knowing I had the privilege of working beside this absolute legend."

    "We will miss you dearly Len. We love you".

  5. 'He showed us dance steps we didn't know existed' - former Strictly dancerpublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Vincent Simone (R) with celebrity dance partner Natalie Cassidy on Strictly Come Dancing in 2019

    Former Strictly professional dancer, Vincent Simone, says Len Goodman was "one of those people you wanted to spend all day with".

    Speaking to Radio 5 Live, he says all the male professional dancers would "hang around" with Len to listen to his stories.

    "He used to show us steps which all of us new professionals didn't know existed," he says.

    Remembering how the pair's friendship lasted beyond Vincent's time on Strictly, he says Len would often go to see him performing on the West End.

    "I always got a message after the show saying; 'It's a ten from Len'", he says.

  6. Goodman's competitive career and influence in dancepublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Len Goodman

    As well as being a Strictly judge, Goodman enjoyed a 40-year career in ballroom and was a competitive dancer.

    Here are some of the competitions he won during that time:

    • Kent Professional Championship 1969
    • British Professional Rising Star Championships 1972
    • Duel of the Giants at the Royal Albert Hall 1975
    • Four-time winner of the British Exhibition Championships
    • The World Exhibition Championships

    “I was never a world-class dancer... I got as far as I did because I was blessed with having a great partner and was prepared to work harder than most,” Goodman admitted.

    The Goodman Dance Academy, external highlights his outstanding influence in the field.

    He was an examiner for the National Association of Teachers of Dance, a fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, an adjudicator for the World Dance Council, British Dance Council, Ballroom Dancers’ Federation and a founding member of the International Dance Sport Judges and Trainers Association.

    As the Academy points out, "what Len doesn’t know about dance isn’t worth knowing."

  7. 'My heart is shattered' - Dancing with the Stars judgepublished at 16:21 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno TonioliImage source, Getty Images

    One of Goodman's fellow judges on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars, has paid tribute to her colleague and "treasured friend".

    Carrie Ann Inaba remembers him as many things: "A Dancer. A teacher. A refined gentleman. A wonderful storyteller. A special soul. A mentor. A family man."

    Alongside some images and video, external of the pair, she writes in an Instagram post that today's news "shattered" her heart.

    "You were one of a kind my dear friend. And I will cherish our memories and hold them close", she says, thanking Goodman for his "humour, wisdom, wit and truth".

  8. Watch: 'An enormous star... but humble'published at 15:58 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Strictly host Claudia Winkleman has been sharing her memories of Goodman and remembers a star who didn't indulge in starry behaviour.

  9. My past teacher and a dance legend - Shirley Ballaspublished at 15:37 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Shirley BallasImage source, BBC/PA

    Shirley Ballas - who stepped in as head judge when Goodman left - says she is "extremely sad" to hear he has died.

    "My past teacher, a dance legend and a true gentlemen," she writes of Goodman on Twitter, external. "He was a shining star in the ballroom that everyone loved."

    "My heart is full of memories with him," she adds, thanking Goodman for his "dedication to the art of ballroom dancing" and for "all your advice over the years".

  10. 'I recommended Len as the last minute replacement'published at 15:31 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Peter Shilton and Erin Boag
    Image caption,

    Erin Boag danced with Peter Shilton in series eight of Strictly Come Dancing

    Goodman landed the job on Strictly Come Dancing after another well-known figure from the world of dance dropped out shortly before the first pilot.

    Erin Boag - who had been signed up to be a professional dancer on the show - told BBC Radio 5 Live that the producers asked her if she could help with any recommendations.

    "I already knew Len from the dance world anyway - he was a very well-respected man in our dance world," she told Naga Munchetty.

    Quote Message

    And he had just done the best speech at this wedding - it was so funny. And I said you have to get this man in. He's called Len Goodman, he is perfect, he's got so much character. He's professional and he looks good in a suit, he's well-respected.

    Quote Message

    They said: 'We'll give him a call'. Well, the rest is history. They did. And I don't think anyone looked back. He was perfect for the job from day one. They gave him the job on the spot."

  11. 'A very encouraging and patient teacher'published at 15:22 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Len Goodman in 2016Image source, Michael Leckie/BBC

    Before Goodman found fame on Strictly, he ran a dance school in Dartford, Kent.

    Joanne Stone, 50, was one of his pupils in the 1980s who attended disco dancing classes.

    "Len was a very encouraging teacher and so patient with those of us that didn't really have a natural talent for dancing," she told the PA news agency.

    "He used to make a fuss of you on your birthday and run a little competition on how many jelly sweets you could eat," she said. "I'm a terrible dancer but still smile remembering the lessons I attended."

    On the news that Goodman had died, Stone, from Southampton, said: "The news was a shock and I must say I felt a little tearful when I heard."

  12. 'Grumpy Goodman was just my kind of guy'published at 14:54 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Sports broadcaster Chris Hollins, who won Strictly in 2009, told BBC News the former judge was the same on screen as off screen. And he could be really grumpy.

    "Grumpy Goodman, as I used to call him - he was just my kind of guy," Hollins said. "He dealt with harsh reality, because I wasn't a very good dancer and he gave it to me straight but he always encouraged everybody on the show.

    "And let's be honest, he made the show - along with the likes of Sir Bruce Forsyth - the show that is, that we all love in our millions."

    Chris Hollins on Strictly

    Goodman found fame later in life - he was 60 when he joined Strictly Come Dancing - but it didn't change him, Hollins said.

    "All of his comments were the comments he would give his little students in his dance studio in Dartford, it didn't matter if you were a global music star or sports star, they were exactly the same comments.

    "And they were always encouraging, sometimes a little bit naughty and close to the mark but always what the dancer wanted."

  13. 'The perfect gentleman' - former Strictly dancerpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Let's hear now from Robin Windsor, a former professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, who points to "the outpouring of love" for Len Goodman on social media as proof that he was a "special, wonderful man".

    "Len was Len, whether he was on television, backstage, in his dance studio, if you meet him on the street, you would always get exactly the same Len Goodman," Windsor says, adding Goodman wanted "everybody to be their best and do their best".

    Robin Windsor (right) with then celebrity dance partner Lisa Riley during week 10 of Strictly Come Dancing series 10
    Image caption,

    Robin Windsor (right) with his celebrity dance partner Lisa Riley during week 10 of Strictly Come Dancing series 10

    He also says that despite the fame and fortune of Strictly and Dancing with the Stars, "to all of us he was one of our own ballroom dancers that we loved and cherished the most".

    "The perfect gentleman," Windsor adds.

  14. Tributes flooding in for Goodmanpublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Jamie Whitehead
    Live reporter

    Thank you for being with us for our coverage following the death of former Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman.

    Goodman was the head judge on the BBC’s Saturday night extravaganza from it’s first show in 2004 right the way through until 2016. He was also on the show’s American version, Dancing With the Stars.

    Needless to say, tributes have been flooding in for probably one of the UK’s best known ballroom dancers.

    Strictly host Tess Daly said, “You were never a seven for me, Len. You were always a 10” - a reference to his famous “Seveeeeeen” catchprase. Her co-host Claudia Winkleman said he was “full of twinkle, warmth and wit”.

    Goodman died in Kent on Saturday aged 78.

    Stay with us throughout the afternoon as we continue to bring you updates and reaction.

  15. A national treasure and a friend - Anton Du Bekepublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Anton Du Beke and Len Goodman in 2013Image source, FilmMagic

    Strictly judge Anton Du Beke says it's "incredibly difficult to find the words to encapsulate Len, because he was everything, but he was also simply Len."

    "Len was different to anyone else in the dancing business - he was a wonderful character, he had a roguishness about him - he had twinkle," says Du Beke, who first met him when he was "a young lad" dancing.

    "A national treasure certainly, but more importantly to me he was my friend. I was very lucky to know him. I'm going to miss you, Len," he adds.

  16. A 'warm' and 'down to earth bloke'published at 14:04 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Our colleagues over at BBC Radio Kent have shared with us some of the tributes they've received from listeners.

    David remembers Len Goodman - who lived in the southern county and ran a ballroom dance school in Dartford - as a "genuine" and "down to earth bloke". He says Goodman used to teach his very young children at the Dartford dance school. "My kids didn’t quite have the twinkle toes needed, but they remembered him all those years on."

    Alison Maloney, author of the Strictly Annual, tells Radio Kent that Goodman was a "huge part" of the TV show's success. "He was a new face but he was so knowledgeable and he knew the rules in and out... I just think everybody fell in love with Len."

    And Michelle Clarke, a dance teacher from Brighton, speaks of Goodman's likeability. "He was somebody you felt you knew even if you hadn't met him," she tells the station. "He just had that warmth and it came across always in the way that he was on television."

  17. In pictures: Len Goodman on Strictly through the yearspublished at 13:50 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    2004

    Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips, dancing partners Darren Bennett and Jill Halfpenny, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli in the 2004 Christmas Special of Strictly Come Dancing

    2008

    Len Goodman behind the scenes of Strictly in October 2008

    2009

    Stictly Come Dancing judges Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli in the 2009 Christmas Special

    2010

    Len Goodman on Strictly in September 2010
    Len Goodman and Craig Revel Horwood in the 2010 Strictly Christmas Special

    2011

    Judges Craig Revel Horwood as the Grinch and Len Goodman in the 2011 Christmas Special

    2012

    Len Goodman backstage during series 10 of Strictly in October 2012

    2013

    Len Goodman, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli in the 2013 Children in Need Strictly Special

    2014

    Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli in the 2014 Strictly Christmas Special
    Len Goodman and Natalie Lowe

    2015

    Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli in the 2015 Strictly Christmas Special

    2016

    The Strictly Judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly, Darcey Bucell and Craig Revel Horwood in 2016
    Len Goodman in the 2016 Strictly Christmas Special
    Claudia Winkleman, Len Goodman, and Tess Daly on the 2016 Strictly Christmas Special
  18. get involved

    Share your tributespublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    We want to hear your tributes to former Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman by emailing us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external

    Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

  19. 'Rampant crabs and cow pats' - more of Len's memorable one-linerspublished at 13:29 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Len Goodman

    We've collected some more of Goodman's one-liners, which delighted the dancers and the audience during his time as Strictly head judge.

    To TV presenter Anita Rani and Gleb Savchenko after their tango to Cell Block Tango: "It was like a cow pat on Countryfile - hot and steamy."

    On The Wanted star Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani's tango: "You were like a chess master - you plotted your way around that floor. That was a mango of a tango. Delicious."

    To Kellie Bright and Kevin Clifton after a samba to Boom! Shake The Room: "There are two things I don't like in this world: babies crying and hip hop."

    To Savchenko after his and Rani's dance to Unchained Melody: "You flew across the floor like a rampant crab."

    On TV presenter Alison Hammond imitating Kate Bush during a Halloween special: "For me, you can't waft enough."

  20. 'Len, you were always my favourite too'published at 13:26 British Summer Time 24 April 2023

    Aljaz Skojanec and Abbey Clancy
    Image caption,

    Aljaz Skojanec and model Abbey Clancy were runners-up in series 11

    Some of the professional dancers who worked with Goodman during his years on Strictly are remembering their former colleague and friend on social media.

    Aljaz Skojanec, who worked on the show for nine series, said on Instagram, external: "We both loved our ballroom dancing more than most.

    "One of the people I respected and feared most in the ballroom, but then we became such amazing friends, always laughing and cracking jokes.

    "We only spoke a couple of weeks ago, and I wish we could’ve cracked one last joke together. And like your last message to me, Len, you were always my favourite too."

    Karen Hauer, another long-serving Strictly dancer, described Goodman as a "wonderful human who will be sorely missed. Thank you for that last dance. RIP Len."

    And Graziano Di Prima said: "So sad to hear about the death of Len Goodman. RIP LEGEND."