Len Goodman Says DWTS Season 20 Will Be His Last
Digital Spy is reporting Len Goodman won’t be coming back to Dancing With The Stars after Season 20. I really can’t blame him, can you? Read on for more and thanks to Lori and M8 for the heads up!
“Next year, I’m not going to do the flying backwards and forwards – I’m not going to do the American show… I’ve got to have a bit of time off,” Goodman explained.
“I’ve got my wife, I’ve got my son, my mother is still alive and she’s in hospital – I’ve had virtually no time to go and visit her.
“So, I just need a bit of time off to get on with a normal life. And it was either Strictly went or the American one went or the tour went… I’m doing the spring one when I go out there… and that’s going to be my last one.”
To read the full article, see Digital Spy.
Don’t really blame him – I’m glad he’s doing season 20 though.
It would be weird not to have him there for the 10th anniversary
Dwts won’t ever be the same. As much as people complain about him (me included) he is an integral part of the show. From season 21 I hope it’s just the 3 remaining judges
I like Len. For me, his extended absence this season left me excited for his return. I will miss him.
I think most people will agree that Len sometimes just downright sucks.. However, when it comes to experience, he is above everyone else in the judges panel. I will definitely miss him and the show won’t be the same without him.
Thankfully I’ll still be able to see him on Strictly and get my “Seveeeeen” fix. 😛
I’m not sure what to think here. On one side I feel for the guy and totally get why he made the decision. On the flip side I feel like if they don’t get a tough judge the judging panel will become a giant free for all with Carrie Ann falling out of her seat every week Julianne being the tough judge and Bruno….being bruno. I’m praying that they replace him with someone good (gleb, Derek, Cheryl, Anna, edyta, the lord of the dance guy, maks (this is the one case when I feel like I’d be ok with him as a judge), or even Craig from scd. Just as long as we get a good judge and not a push over. Kym is doing really good on the Australian version and Idk if they would go that route but if they don’t maybe Damien white wood? I know he was a pro on our version only once but he seems like a straight shooter.
I hit submit too quickly; anyways, there is only two people I wouldn’t want to see replace len: james from strictly or Donny osmond. James is a bitter little man (he really has gone off the rails since not being asked back as a pro) and Donny used to be one of my fav celebrities but now makes me want to pull out my hair.
I also will miss Len. I couldn’t wait for him to come back and take his chair again this S-19. He knows his stuff when it comes to Ballroom dancing and I think he balanced things out. I loved it poetic little sayings when complimenting the celebrate. But, on the brighter side….he is still with us for ONE more season. I’m sure S-20 will be awesome with it being its 10th year anniversary.
i know im bias being an aussie … but how about Jason Gilkenson, always did a great job on SYTCD and thanks to him we have most of our pros!
I’m glad he agreed to 19 and 20.
I think Julianne did fine, but I don’t really see her as a replacement for Len. Maybe once Derek and Mark move on. To me it felt like she tried too hard to elevate Val with praise so as to not appear biased. Maybe with another season under her belt she will feel seasoned enough and be able to relax a bit about how people are judging her.
Will miss the old guy! 🙁
@Vin Craig as a judge here in the US? Man will get eaten alive by everyone once he starts busting out the 2 and 3 paddles…. and I would love to see that so I say bring on Craig! Hahahaha.
It will be very hard to replace Len but I am guessing the show is just gonna end up keeping the ladies and Bruno and go back to three. Which I am not sure I like so much….
@CC: That’s why I love Craig lol. He seems so unfazed when he pulls out the low numbers.
LOL I am so curious on this Craig guy!
I will miss Len very much, despite his harsher grading of Derek’s partners – I think he does that to prove he’s not playing favorites and Derek doesn’t seem to mind so… :::shrug:::
I will say, though, that I think Julianne is probably his equal in terms of “experience” simply due to the fact that she actually competed on this show for five seasons and won twice. She actually knows what it takes to learn some of these dances in four days. Len doesn’t have that experience.
I’m with you on the OTT Val praise, Jess. I think any other time she would have called him out for his Maks habits that he’s picking up. Still disappointed every time I see him put a long walk in a dance. Or a run up the stairs. Or sitting in the audience….
@Vogue: The man really is like a robot in some ways (rarely shows any emotion) and is kinda like their version of Simon Cowell but without being too mean verbally. Also likes to keep it real with the scores (much like Len) but unlike Len (who really has shown he is a giant teddy bear now) he has the warmth of Lord Voldermort. Hope that helps lol.
@vin lol – that might be a little too harsh. Craig is actually a really nie person (and quite funny). But when it comes to the show (and especially scoring) he tells it like it is no matter what.
I would LOVE to see him on DWTS but I really doubt the producers will risk it. He is bound to anger a large part of the viewers because he is so different from the other judges.
I actually have another suggestion for a new judge. I don’t know if anyone will remember him but a few seasons ago Cheryl did a performance on one of the results shows where she talked a lot about her former teacher: Allan Tornsberg. He is a former world champion latin dancer, a judge at international dance competitions and also a former judge on the Danish version of DWTS for 5 years.
I believe he lives in New York now where his dance studio is.
He was always a fair judge and I think he would be good fit for DWTS.
Oh ok! lol
I agree PHeidi…I always thought Len could be a little harsher on Derek’s partners so as to not come across favoring (since many viewers whined about the judges showing him favoritism all the time)
And, I also agree about Julianne, I felt she was being extra nice to Val when she no doubt wanted to criticize him on his walking and stairs stepping inheritances from his brother. Yes, I think Julianne is quite experience in Ballroom techniques and what it takes to learn these dances in a span of 4 days, and for some (because of their other commitments) less than 4.
The show will miss Len massively when he’s gone. No doubt about it. His natural charisma and experience along with the ability to switch from friendly judge to tough judge makes him pretty much unreplaceable. Season 21 could be a real strange one if people like Derek, Karina and Mark leave after season 20 if not sooner.
If you want to replace him with a tough judge who tells it like it is and deals out harsh but fair criticism I’d love to see Craig. But unfortunately I can’t see the producers taking a chance on him. I don’t think DWTS has ever seen a 4 paddle let alone a 2 paddle that he would pull out on any Michael Waltrip like dancers, and the anger he would generate from viewers, dancers and the media would probably effect the show in a negative way.
I only hope TPTB don’t take the family route and give the gig to Maks or a Ballas family member. They are already tediously close to crossing the line for me with Julianne. Getting someone like Maks in to “even things up” so to speak is not the answer. I honestly don’t have a clue who they could get. Jason Gilkinson maybe if he wants to leave SCD. Could be worth poaching Nigel Lythgoe perhaps? To be honest, anyone would be better than Donny bloody Osmond. They could just go back to 3 judges, but for me Julianne didn’t sell the tough judge act last season so it may not work.
I remember on Master P’s days at DWTS he got fours and threes (even twos!) regularly, but yeah I hardly see any fours and below since, I don’t know, season 10?
I’d LOVE to see Craig Revel doing DWTS. He’s blunt, he’s precise, and he goes to the point straight, although sometimes he can be a tad too picky (quite a lot great dances from series 11 alone would get 40 if it wasn’t for Craig’s score: Suzanna’s paso, Abbey’s quickstep, Sophie’s Viennese Waltz, etc). I would kill to see Derek’s face if he finally got a 5 from Craig, which I believe Derek has never get until now (or has he? I only remember those 6s for Nicole, Jennifer and Joanna), or other pros like Val and Mark if they got 5 or lower from him. But yeah, quite unlikely to happen. I wouldn’t mind James Jordan or even Brendan Cole to be a judge though, or especially Kym, so we have two usual judges plus two former pros as the judges.
The one I mind is obviously Donny Osmond. Even when he is guest judging for Strictly a few months ago he just comes across as unlikeable, and is way too generous with the scores (Frankie’s paso was great but it was NOT a ten, Donny, especially not in week three). Ugh can’t stand even to think of him being Len’s replacement. And don’t get me started on Maks.
Call me crazy but I find Len to be rather sexy.
I’m guessing Len must be relieved to focus on SCD in the UK and not have to endure what must be exhausting back and forth plane trips to LA to do DWTS. (However, I wonder if all the changes to the show’s original format are influencing his desire to leave). But selfishly, I will greatly miss his solidness, his focus on quality dancing, his depth of judging experience, his quirky personality, his cute accent, his clever sayings, his winning smile, and the fact that he seemed to be the only adult on the judging panel. Pre-Julianne, Len was, imo, the glue that kept ditzy CAI and exuberant Bruno nicely intact. I agree with a previous poster that without him, the judging panel may turn into a free-for-all with CAI salivating over the males and falling out of her chair and giggling like a goof, and Bruno and Julianne jumping out of their chairs to make a point. Len is a class act, imo, and provides judging discipline and attention-to-task to a show that has seemingly gone off course from its original ballroom focus and appeal and has morphed into a cross between SYTYCD and a Las Vegas production. His departure after season 20 will be the end of an era, and it will be very interesting to see how the judging panel will shake out. I hope TPTB keep Bruno because he is highly entertaining and also has some insightful commentary. They’ll probably keep Julianne for the eye-candy factor, although her personality is grating to me. CAI….who knows? I hope they stay with the 3 judge format for time-efficiency’s sake.