Born in London in 1944, Len Goodman came to dancing relatively late – starting dance classes on the recommendation of his doctor after injuring his foot while working as an apprentice joiner at the age of 19.
He excelled on the dancefloor, turning professional and winning many competitions, including the British Championships at Blackpool before retiring in his late twenties.
Goodman shot to fame in the BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing, which he joined when the show premiered in 2004 and served as head judge until 2016.
He also became a star on the other side of the Atlantic, appearing in US programme Dancing with the Stars from 2005 until 2022.
Running a dance ballroom dance school in Dartford, Kent, also kept him busy, as well as appearances on many other television programmes including ‘Titanic with Len Goodman’, ‘Len Goodman's Dance Band Days’, ‘Len Goodman's Perfect Christmas’, ‘Dancing Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Secrets from the Clink’, ‘Holiday of My Lifetime’, and ‘Len and Ainsley's Big Food Adventure’.
Goodman died from bone cancer in a hospice in Royal Tunbridge Wells, on April 22, 2023, at the age of 78.
Here are 13 of his most memorable quotes.
. Judge Len Goodman attends the Dancing With The Stars - 2019 top 6 finalist event, November 4, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman was an entertaining and interesting interviewee. Photo: VALERIE MACON
. Len Goodman on...death
"The trouble when you die is that everyone says you were nice. I would like to be thought of as genuinely nice. I would like there to be people who can honestly say, 'Len! Oh yeah, there was more good than bad in him." Photo: Frederick M. Brown
. Len Goodman on...marriage
"I've never really been very good at marriage. It's one of my failures. I've tried my best, but I do realise the common denominator is me; it's something I'm doing." Photo: Vince Bucci
1. Len Goodman on...death
"The trouble when you die is that everyone says you were nice. I would like to be thought of as genuinely nice. I would like there to be people who can honestly say, 'Len! Oh yeah, there was more good than bad in him." Photo: Frederick M. Brown
2. Len Goodman on...marriage
"I've never really been very good at marriage. It's one of my failures. I've tried my best, but I do realise the common denominator is me; it's something I'm doing." Photo: Vince Bucci
3. Len Goodman on...getting older
"As you get older, things conk out. It's a bit like a car. As long as it's something the mechanics can fix, you can chug on for a few more thousand miles." Photo: Dan Kitwood
4. Len Goodman on...children
"The thing with children is they're a bit like baking a fruitcake: you throw all the ingredients in but you never know how they're going to turn out." Photo: Frazer Harrison