Heavy/Getty Len Goodman may have looked different during season 31.
Former “Dancing With the Stars” cast member Tom Bergeron says that he noticed something different about Len Goodman during season 31 of the popular dance competition show.
Although Bergeron is no longer on the show — he was relieved of his hosting duties in 2020 — he told Extra’s Billy Bush that he had seen some pictures from the show, which streams on Disney+, and couldn’t help but notice that Goodman was looking a bit frail.
“I had seen a few pictures from their last season. It looked as if he had lost quite a bit of weight and I knew he had a bout with cancer some years ago so I was concerned based on that. I thought there might have been some health issues, which made him decide to, you know, retire,” Bergeron explained.
According to his rep, Goodman died on April 22, 2023, at a hospice facility in Kent. He had previously been diagnosed with bone cancer, but kept the health news private.
Heavy has reached out to a rep for Goodman for additional comment.
Here’s what you need to know:
Len Goodman Had Prostate Cancer in 2009
As Bergeron mentioned in his interview with Extra, Goodman was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer. He talked about the diagnosis in a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail.
“I’ve had the surgery now. Everything’s gorgeously good. I’ll be back in September for sure,” he said, confirming that doctors removed a tumor. At the time his cancer was found, Goodman was working in the U.S. — judging “Dancing With the Stars.”
He spoke with his doctors, who felt it was safe for him to put the surgery off until he wrapped up the season.
“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,” he explained to the outlet. “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,” he added.
Len Goodman Announced His Retirement From ‘Dancing With the Stars’ After Season 31
Although Goodman did not say much about his health in 2022, he did announce his decision to depart “Dancing With the Stars” at the end of the season in an effort to spend more time with his family.
“It’s been a huge pleasure to be a huge part of such a wonderful show,” Goodman said during a live episode of the show in November 2022, according to Deadline. “I cannot thank you enough, the DWTS family. It has been such a wonderful experience for me. I’m looking forward to next week’s finale. I’m sure it’s going to be absolutely brilliant,” he added.
Goodman had been a judge on “Dancing With the Stars” since the show premiered in 2005, only taking short amounts of time off over the years. He was also on the UK’s “Strictly Come Dancing” from 2004 through 2016.
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