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.
9. Len Goodman on...technology
"I'm a technophobe. I can't crack the iPhone, and the extent of my multitasking is being able to talk while I make a drink." Photo: Todd Oren
10. Len Goodman on...his career
"The truth is, I've been lucky. But just like the waltz, life has its own rhythm of rise and fall." Photo: Simon Burchell
11. Len Goodman on...food
"I won't eat anything I can't spell or wouldn't tread in." Photo: Anthony Harvey
12. Len Goodman on...airports
"I really hate airport queues. I almost feel they should have cattle prods to hurry us up down the aisles. You can't even complain because they might stop you getting on to the flight." Photo: Andrew Redington