Legendary Judge Len Goodman Quits ‘Dancing with the Stars’ at 78 for Grandkids

Len Goodman, legendary “Dancing With the Stars” judge, announces retirement after 17 years of devotion to the show.

Len found true love in old age. His wedding was in secret for the sake of mom.

Len became a grandpa at 71 and shared how he missed his sweet granddaughter.

If you’re a fan of “Dancing with the Stars,” you will know Len Goodman. He has been a judge on the show for 17 years and has cemented his place in the hearts of families worldwide who watch the show.

Despite his extended time on the show, he has recently decided not to continue his post as a judge. He announced his exit from the show on an episode of “Dancing with the Stars.”

The host, Tyra Banks, turned to Goodman and said that he was a “living legend” after mentioning that he had something to say. During this time, he announced that he would be retiring from his post. The announcement was met with disappointment from the audience.
He joined the show in 2005 when it first aired and has been a mainstay of the panel, but he admitted:

“It has been a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful show, but I decided I’d like to spend more time with my grandchildren and family.”

Enjoy Grandad!! Xx @GrumpyLGoodman @bbcstrictly @jameswgoodman #SCD2016 #strictly #StrictlyFinal pic.twitter.com/dTdY03gLSO

— sophie bird (@sophbird) December 17, 2016

Goodman said he was grateful for his time spent on the show and that he had a wonderful time while filming the last 31 seasons. The public was disappointed by the news but cheered him on. One Facebook user said: “What a loss; the only judge that wanted to see and judge elegant dancing.”

Why Was Goodman’s Wedding a Secret to Everyone but His Mom?
Goodman recently found the love of his life in 47-year-old dance teacher Sue. He talked about why he proposed and said:

“I’d found the woman I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.”

On what he described as a whim, he then decided that he would propose to Sue. He did so and said that he kept it a secret from everyone but his mother. He was afraid if he didn’t tell her, and she was surprised, she would have a heart attack because of her age.

Talking about why he thought Sue was the one for him, Goodman said she had changed him for the better. He didn’t want to change in the past, but he believes he did it for Sue because she was the one.

He revealed what it was that made him believe that marriage was not for him in the past and why he had to change, saying:

“I’ve become totally unselfish, and I think that’s because it’s true love.”

The couple did not have a big wedding ceremony and didn’t even tell people it was their wedding when they did get married. They simply invited some friends to lunch and said they would have drinks.

Goodman said he felt lucky because 30 people RSVP’d to his invite, and when their friends came over, they had drinks at first. The couple then told their guests they would be going into another room, and they had their wedding ceremony.

The “Dancing with the Stars” judge said he, his wife, and their guests had some lunch and enjoyed the afternoon together. They listened to jazz all afternoon and went home by 5 p.m. happy and in love.

Goodman spoke about why he told his mother about the wedding and nobody else and how he felt about losing his father. He said losing his father was very difficult, and he feels strongly about spending time with his parents. He admitted:

“I’m a great believer in family. When I read that people don’t go see their mothers as they get older, I can’t understand it.”

@DancingABC Thank you for my present! Love Alice x (@GrumpyLGoodman Len’s Granddaughter) @jameswgoodman pic.twitter.com/CQxjnAqIn5

— sophie bird (@sophbird) September 28, 2015

Goodman values family so much that after he and Sue left their wedding shindig, they stopped off at his father’s grave to share the day with him. Goodman and Sue took their wedding flowers to lay on his father’s grave.

Goodman Became a Grandpa for the First Time at 71
When Goodman refused to do the next season of “Dancing with the Stars,” it had nothing to do with the fact that he was getting older. Instead, it was due to him welcoming his first grandchild at 71 and wanting to spend more time with her.

Goodman’s granddaughter was born to his only child, James, who is part of the family business teaching dance at Goodman’s school. Talking about his granddaughter, Goodman said:

“Alice is so lovely. I can’t stop looking at her.”

He said that having a granddaughter has made him do things he has never done before, and he misses her very much when she goes away to see her other grandparents who live on the Isle of Wight.

Goodman also revealed that he had loved spending time with his granddaughter amid the loss of his own mother, who passed away just weeks before she turned 98. He mentioned that she led a wonderful life and would be greatly missed by everyone who knew her.

Now that Goodman has retired from his “Dancing with the Stars” judging post, he has more time to spend with his family. He confessed that he loves to walk around parks with his grandchild and his son on sunny days.