Len Goodman, a former “Dancing With the Stars” judge, has passed away at the age of 78 after battling bone cancer.
The English dance pro who competed in the ballroom competition from 2005 until last year passed away on Saturday in a hospice in Kent, southern England, according to his manager.
“He was surrounded by his family,” Goodman’s manager, Jackie Gill, told CNN in a statement on Monday.
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In 1944, Goodman was born in London. His website states that he began dancing at the age of 19 and was a professional dancer before making the transition to television.
From the show’s start in 2004 until his final appearance on the Christmas Day 2016 special, Goodman served as the show’s top judge on the British version of DWTS, “Strictly Come Dancing” on the BBC. After he left, Shirley Ballas assumed responsibility for the position.
Outside of his career in television, Goodman was in charge of the Kent-based Goodman Dance Academy. Additionally, he published many books, including his 2009 autobiography “Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom,” as well as “Dancing Around Britain” and “Lost London.”