As Strictly Come Dancing legend Len Goodman is about to take his final waltz he reveals it was the right time to retire as he could be ‘brown bread’ soon
AS Strictly’s Head Judge for the past 12 years, Len Goodman has quick-stepped his way to being a national treasure.
But as he bows out on tomorrow’s grand final — no doubt with a few of his trademark “ten from Len” scores — he insists the time is right to go.
In his only official newspaper farewell interview, Len exclusively reveals that his fear of dying without having spent enough time with his family prompted his decision.
Len says: “Maybe I have got one or two years left in me being a judge, but it’s the right time and I’ve had a wonderful 12 years.
“My father died when he was 79 and I’m 72. God willing I’ll live to be 99, but there’s always that chance that in six or seven years I could be brown bread.
“So I want to spend more time with my family as I’ve now got a granddaughter. I want to be able to do all these things.”
The Sun revealed yesterday that Darcey Bussell, 47, will take over from Len. BBC bosses are still considering who will be the fourth judge alongside Bruno Tonioli, 61, and Craig Revel Horwood, 51.
Len reckons the new recruit will have to complement the others. He says: “The current line-up, with Darcey’s background in ballet, means it’s all very different and balanced.
“Sometimes Craig is too harsh and I let him know. Even a donkey needs a carrot and on occasions he just goes with the negative without an ounce of encouragement. As a judge on the show you have to educate a little bit and encourage.
“But what I love about Craig is he’s brutally honest and finicky about things. He’s like a rottweiler. Bruno’s like a poodle and sees all the positives in people.”
These days Len is a household name thanks to Strictly.
Yet the former welder turned professional ballroom dancer, from Bromley in South London, initially thought the show would FLOP.
He remembers hearing the rumours in 2004 that the BBC was doing a new version of Come Dancing, a show on which he had performed routines in the Seventies. Lots of his dance mates were asked to audition, but the phone did not ring at the small dance studio he was running in Dartford, Kent.
Len admits: “In the end so many friends asked me if I had been for an audition I just lied and said, ‘Yeah, but I don’t want to do it’.
“They were struggling for a fourth judge and I luckily got the call very late for an audition.
“I had to watch a DVD of people dancing and tell them what I thought. I said it was all right but I didn’t like the routine because it was ‘all sizzle, no sausage’.
“Two days later they said they wanted me to be one of the judges. I was shocked. The pilot was on my 60th birthday, I’ll never forget it.”
His Cockney charm and one-liners — like “those hips are allergic to rhythm” and “you’ve got the wow but not the how” — made him an instant hit on the show, which now has an average audience of more than 11million viewers.
Asked why Strictly is such a hit, Len says: “I have no idea. Before it started I said to my wife Sue, ‘I can’t see this working. Nobody’s interested in ballroom dancing and most of the celebrities I’ve never heard of’. But they went in all guns blazing on a Saturday night, with Bruce Forsyth, my hero, hosting it and a big band.
I remember the funny ones . . Ann Widdecombe
“How the Head Judge thing came about, I don’t know. But during the first show, after a couple of dances, Bruce said, ‘Right, now we will turn to our judges and we’ll start with our Head Judge, Len Goodman’.
“That was the first I’d heard that I was Head Judge — and I don’t get any more money for it!”
The BBC sold the rights to US network ABC for their version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars. DWTS snapped up flamboyant judge Bruno but were not so keen on Len.
He says: “The Americans didn’t want me. They loved Bruno because he had all the razzmatazz and he got the job straight away.
“Me, too old. They auditioned loads of people but they were all too nice and positive. In the end they called me three days before the first episode and said, ‘They are going to go with you as it’s only a six-week show, and can you get to LA?’. I did and we’re now on season 23.”
Having done so many series on both sides of the Atlantic, Len finds it hard to recall all of the Strictly performances.
He says: “I tend to remember the funny ones more. I remember Ann Widdecombe very clearly. If you asked me who won it that year, I’d struggle to think. It’s a bizarre thing.
“Jill Halfpenny’s jive sticks in the mind because it was the first 40 score.
“It was a bit like Roger Bannister becoming the first to break the four-minute mile or Edmund Hillary being the first to climb Everest. The first is always special.”
One common criticism levelled at Strictly is that the celebs with previous dance experience have an unfair advantage.
Former West End star Danny Mac, 28, and Louise Redknapp, 42, who danced in pop group Eternal, are both in this weekend’s final. Len counters with: “Ore Oduba, the sports presenter, I don’t know if he’s had any dance training before and he’s in the final.
“Singers and actresses have been to stage school for their education and have been taught dance, probably not in ballroom and Latin. It’s about co-ordination, so they’ve got that and they’ve got musicality.
“You can make a case that they’ve got an advantage and then you can say sports stars are used to being coached, also have co-ordination and that will to win.”
Despite being certain now he’s made the correct decision, Len admits he will be watching the next series at home, while enjoying a Chinese takeaway — and probably wondering what if?.
He says: “As much as I know it’s the right time to leave I guarantee next year I’ll be sitting with my wife watching it and I’ll say I should have done one more.
“I’ll be scoring them as well and sit back while having my spring rolls and just enjoy it for once.
“Strictly gave me everything, so I would never desert them because there was something better.
“It’s a bit like playing cards, you’ve got to know when to hold them and when to fold them.
“I would much rather leave and people say, ‘What a shame’ than people think, ‘Thank heavens, he’s off now’, you know?”
But asked if he would consider returning for any charity or Christmas specials, Len flashes a wide grin and says: “If they ask me it will be hard to turn down.”
PERFECT 10S FROM OUR LEN
NOVELTY ACT: ED BALLS
I will always remember Ed. He was terrific. I was so surprised because I had a feeling that Ann Widdecombe wasn’t going to dance much – the same with Russell Grant. But Ed, above, did dance. When he did a waltz, you could see it was a waltz.
SPORTS STAR: MARTIN OFFIAH
When he came on it gave ballroom dancing a credibility. People thought, “Here’s a big rugby player but he was dancing, and dancing OK”. He’s a standout for me mainly because everybody thought ballroom dancing was a bit pansy. But he was great and proved them wrong.
ACTOR: RICKY WHITTLE
He has to go down as one of my top notches. Ricky was an amazing dancer. I can’t remember why he didn’t win that year. I hear his acting is going great in LA and I’m really pleased for him.
TV PRESENTER: SUSANNA REID
She was a brilliant dancer. She got umpteen tens and didn’t win. Susanna’s another one I loved to watch and I’m still puzzled why she didn’t win.
CHAMPION: ABBEY CLANCY
We’ve had models on before and in America and they’ve always been terrible – ungainly, lanky. I thought Abbey wouldn’t have any co-ordination but she was brilliant. Her ballroom top line was amazing.