Len Goodman reveals he’s leaving Dancing with the Stars

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Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman has been an ever-present figure on the Dancing with the Stars panel since the show first premiered back on ABC in 2005. But on Monday evening, Len decided the time was right to announce his exit from the Disney+ competition, and there was barely a dry eye in the studio as his fellow judges, including Bruno Tonioli, embraced their long-serving colleague.

Dancing with the Stars host Tyra Banks set the stage for Len to make his announcement during Monday’s episode.

“Now, before we get into the second round, we wanna check in with our head judge,” the DWTS host said.

“Now Len, you have seen more than 3,000 routines here in this ballroom,” Tyra continued. “And I know that you’ve got something to say tonight.”

The spotlight then turned on Len who began his emotional farewell: “Well, while we are all getting excited and looking forward so much to the finale next week, it will also be with a touch of sadness as this will be my last season judging on Dancing with Stars.”

Gasps and groans could be heard from the studio audience as the revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd.

He continued: “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.”

Applause and cheers soon took the place of the groans and despair as Len smiled and went on: “I’ve decided to spend more time with my grandchildren and my family back in Britain.”

The audience then got to their feet to give Len a standing ovation as he shot a smile to the camera.

He concluded his statement: “I cannot thank you enough, the Dancing with the Stars family.

“It’s been such a wonderful experience for me and I’m looking forward so much to next week’s finale.

“I’m sure it’s gonna be absolutely brilliant,” Len added before the camera scaled back to show his fellow judges had also risen to their feet to applaud him.

Moments after, Bruno and judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough approached Len to give him a hug.

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And the emotions soon got the best of them as Carrie and Bruno could be seen in tears.

A tearful Bruno planted a kiss on Len’s neck before he could be seen wiping tears from his eyes as he returned to his seat.

Tyra then took the reins once more to echo the sentiment shared by so many in the crowd, describing Len as a “living legend”.

Even as Tyra finished her own speech thanking Len, Bruno could be heard shouting over the top: “A legend! A legend!”

As the crowd then returned to their feet for one last standing ovation Len turned and blew kisses to his supporters. 

Tears were also flowing among the cast of this year’s series, many of whom had been judged by Len for a number of years.

The finale of Dancing with the Stars and Len’s final episode will air on Disney+ on November 21 in the USA.

Dancing with the Stars is available to stream in the UK on Disney+.

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