LEN GOODMAN
Len was a late starter in the dancing world, only starting ballroom lessons after having to give up hopes of becoming a professional footballer due to a foot injury. He turned professional and with his dancing partner Cherry, won the British Championships in his late twenties. He started a dance school in Dartford, and teaches ballroom and latin dancing.
As a respected judge in professional dancing competitions, Len was asked to take part in Strictly Come Dancing, and is the Head Judge of the panel. Len looks for the good in all the celebrities, and tries to encourage them, although will be critical if he doesn't think they are dancing to the best of their ability. He will also score each celebrity in comparison to the performance of the others that week, and not necessarily based on the quality of the dance, so that if the last celebrity comes out and dances the worst dance of the night and the lowest score he's given so far is a 7, he may well score the last dancer a 5 or 6, whereas other judges may only score the same dance a 3 or 4. On the Strictly sister show, It Takes Two, Len's Masterclass is one of the highlights of the week, where he will try to demonstrate and teach Claudia the correct way to perform steps from the various dances on the show.
Len is also the Head Judge on the American version of the show, Dancing With The Stars.