He wants to spend more time with his family in the UK.
Dancing champ Len Goodman has announced his retirement from his role as a judge on Dancing With The Stars.
The show is the American equivalent of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, and Len has been part of the judging panel since 2005.
Explaining his departure on last night’s instalment of the show, Len said that he wanted to spend more time in the UK with his family.
He said: “I’ve been with 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 have decided I’d like spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain.”
He added that he can’t thank the Dancing With The Stars crew enough, and said that it has been “such a wonderful experience”.
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’s news was met with gasps of shock by the studio audience, who later broke into applause for him.
Len Goodman rose to fame in the UK as one of the original judges on Strictly, alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and Arlene Phillips. He left the show in 2016, with Shirley Ballas coming on as his replacement.
At the time of his departure, he said: “In 2004, I was asked to take part in a brand new BBC Saturday night show and who would have thought me, old Len Goodman, would still be part of this amazing series more than 10 years on.
“This adventure began when I was 60 and now that I’ve reached my 70s, I’ve decided after this year it’s time to hand the role of Head Judge to someone else.”
He added: “It is an honour being part of the wonderful Strictly Come Dancing family and I’m looking forward to my last series very much and to whatever comes next.”
