Strictly Come Dancing legend Len Goodman has died at the age of 78.
The professional dancer passed away on Saturday from bone cancer following a short illness.
He had been staying in a hospice in Kent when he died and was surrounded by his family.
A statement from his agent today said: "It is with great sadness to announce that Len Goodman has passed away peacefully, aged 78.
"A much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him."
Len was famed for his role on the hit BBC show, which he quit in 2016 after 12 years, but stayed on the US version until last year.
Years of dancing took a toll his body however, and he was plagued by arthritis for years, Mirror UK reports.
The star had a partial knee replacement in 2015., but with his “the show must go on” mentality, he refused take a week off from Strictly after the surgery, instead appearing on the show with crutches.
He was also secretly treated for prostate cancer in 2009 while filming Strictly and did not tell his close family and friends.
After his operation, Len told the Mail on Sunday: “I could have said ‘sorry’ and not done the show, but the doctors felt I wasn’t riddled with it and it wasn’t so far advanced that it was a life-or-death scenario.
“It takes a few weeks to get everything set up for the operation anyway, so I went ahead and did the show. I had the surgery done as soon as I got back from America.”
Explaining why he chose not to tell anyone at the BBC, Len said: “People generally think ‘bloody hell’. With all the hoo-ha about Strictly coming up, I thought, ‘Just my luck, they won’t want that old f**t on it, the cancer-riddled, bed-ridden old so-and–so’.
The head judge was a firm favourite on the dancing show and was famous for his familiar “Seven!” score.
He delighted audiences on Saturday nights with his witty one-liners ad light-hearted banter with the contestants.
After bowing out from the BBC show in 2016, Len lived out his days with his second wife, Sue, at their home in Kent, where they ran their own ballroom dancing school along with Goodman’s son, James.
Since retiring from the show, Len kept busy and continued to entertain the nation on their telly screens with appearances on Who Do You Think You Are, Desert Island Discs, Holiday of My Lifetime and Len and Ainsley’s big Food Adventure with pal Ainsley Harriott.
Len leaves behind his wife Sue, who he married in 2012 in a surprise ceremony.
The couple invited 30 family and friends under the guise of a nice Sunday lunch before revealing he’d proposed to the dance teacher who he’d been dating for over a decade.
He also leaves behind his son James, from a previous relationship.
READ NEXT:
- GSOC officer 'at Gerry Hutch party' set to leave Ireland and can't be quizzed as he's resigned
- Kin viewers all saying same thing about 'uncomfortable' latest episode
- Martin Lewis issues usage warning to those swapping the oven for an air fryer or microwave
- Dead cruise passenger's body decayed after being stored in drinks cooler for days
- Inside the life of Nashville songwriter behind today's biggest hits as she talks Grammy win, record deals and Irish honeymoon
Get news updates direct to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here
