‘DWTS’ Cast Feels Cheated By Len Goodman’s Death, Why?

Len Goodman, Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli from Instagram Derek Hough's Instagram page

Dancing With The Stars definitely won’t be the same without Len Goodman — and the cast is taking his loss particularly hard.

Many of the pro dancers, including current judge Derek Hough, met Len when they were just children. The ballroom legend judged dance competitions for decades before taking his role on Dancing With The Stars.

Sadly, it seems that many of the cast members didn’t realize that Len Goodman was so ill. It appears that they were largely kept in the dark about his disease, up until the very end.

The DWTS cast didn’t get to say goodbye to Len Goodman

Plenty of Dancing With The Stars fans were surprised when Len Goodman announced his retirement at the end of last season. But hardly anyone expected that he would pass away just months later.

Based on the timing, it’s entirely likely that the 78-year-old knew he didn’t have much longer left to live.

Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli from Bruno's Instagram
Bruno Tonioli/Instagram

Although the DWTS cast knew Len struggled with bone cancer in the past, it seems as if no one knew just how sick he really was.

“We sensed his fragility, but we had no idea the extent of it. This was a huge shock for all of us. He was a special guy, just a special guy. We lost somebody special,” Derek Hough shared with Extra shortly after Len’s passing. He went on to say that he savored every moment with Len, though it’s clear he would have liked to have more time.

The current cast members weren’t the only ones who didn’t realize that Len was so sick. Former DWTS host Tom Bergeron didn’t even realize the British judge had passed away until the news hit the press.

Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli from Instagram
Bruno Tonioli/Instagram

“I woke up this morning to a text from my sister, and it said, ‘Sorry to hear about Len,’ and that’s the first that I had heard or read about it, so then I went online and saw the numerous stories of his passing,” Tom Bergeron told ET just after Len died.

Past and present DWTS cast members may have been cheated out of time with Len Goodman. However, there’s no doubt that his memory will live on for years to come.

The show goes on without the ballroom legend

It’s going to be a very different show without Len Goodman, but Dancing With The Stars will indeed be back for Season 32 this fall. However, there are still many unknowns about the upcoming season.

Right now, executives confirmed the series will return to ABC. Many fans speculate the season premiere will take place in October to accommodate Monday night football, but that has not been confirmed yet.

For now, Len Goodman’s seat is still empty. Time will tell whether or not the execs decide to fill it, but rumor has it that the show will stick to three judges moving forward.

Follow TV Shows Ace for the latest DWTS news. Check back soon for the updates on Season 32.

Nikole Behrens
Follow me!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *