Len Goodman, a former judge on Strictly Come Dancing, has announced he is leaving Dancing With The Stars after 17 seasons.
Goodman, 78, was a panelist when Strictly Come Dancing first on BBC One in 2004 and joined the show the following year.
He played the lead in both programs up until 2016 when he decided to leave the UK original.
Now that he has announced his decision to leave the US program as well, the former professional ballroom dancer says he is doing so to “spend more time with my grandchildren and family” in the UK.
The audience applauded Goodman when she shared the news on Monday’s semi-final Dancing With The Stars episode.
It’s been such a beautiful experience for me, the Dancing With The Stars family, and I can’t thank you enough for that, he said.
Following his announcement, the show’s host Tyra Banks referred to Goodman as a “living icon,” noting that many of the US show’s professionals had grown up watching him dance.
The 2016 Christmas Day Special of Strictly Come Dancing in the UK included Goodman’s final performance. Shirley Ballas took over as chief judge in his place.
Bruno Tonioli, the yellow judge, concurrently featured on Strictly and Dancing With The Stars. The Italian recently left the British edition of the competition but remains on the US version.
“I did it for 12 years, and I wasn’t getting too dithery, but there comes a time when… I simply couldn’t keep going back and forth,” Goodman said on ITV’s Lorraine after leaving Strictly.
When he was 19 years old, Goodman began dancing and went on to win numerous events, including the British Championships in Blackpool.
In addition, he is the proprietor of the Goodman Academy, a dancing school in Dartford, Kent.
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