Susanna Reid fought back tears as she remembered Len Goodman on his 79th birthday on Tuesday.
Susanna, who appeared on Good Morning Britain alongside Ed Balls, said she was “devastated” after hearing the Strictly Chief Justice had passed away.
Len died at a hospice in Tunbridge Wells after a brief battle with bone cancer on Saturday night, days before his 79th birthday.
Presenter Susanna, 52, paid a sweet tribute to Len as she reminisced with Ed, 56, about her own personal experience with the head judge during their time on Strictly Come Dancing.
Opening the show, she said: “Just devastating news about Len Goodman. I hadn’t even realized he was so bad, and then suddenly he was gone.
Emotional: Susanna Reid fought back tears as she remembered Len Goodman on his 79th birthday on Tuesday
Well loved: Len died at a hospice in Tunbridge Wells after a brief battle with bone cancer on Saturday night, days before his 79th birthday
“What a remarkable man. He started at the age of 11 in his grandfather’s salad stand. He learned to be a welder, he loved soccer.
“It was an injury to his foot playing football which meant he went to a dance studio with a mate just for rehab but he always admitted to me it was for girls too.”
Susanna continued: “He was very dated but we loved him for it. He was a phenomenal chief justice, wasn’t he? He was so reassuring and so focused on the technical details.
“Len was the judge you really wanted to impress, and he had this mischievous twist.”
Susanna took part in Strictly in 2013 and was partnered with Kevin Clifton, while Ed joined the show in 2016 and is known for his iconic dances with Katya Jones.
Recalling Len, the former politician said: “He was always positive first before hitting you with his criticism. He always gave me better grades than everyone else
“The best line he said for me was, ‘Ed, you’re not the greatest dancer. But you are the champion of the people.”
Memories: Presenter Susanna, 52, paid a sweet tribute to Len as she reminisced with Ed, 56, about her own personal experience with the head judge during their time on Strictly
Keep dancing: Susanna competed on Strictly in 2013 and was partnered with Kevin Clifton
Iconic: Ed joined the show in 2016 and became known for his iconic dances with Katya Jones
Just days before his 79th birthday, Len passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family.
A spokesman for Len told Web: “I can confirm that he passed away peacefully over the weekend surrounded by his family.”
They added that the former ballroom dancer was “a much-loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and everyone who knew him.”
Anton Du Beke was overcome with emotion during Monday’s The One Show as he paid tribute to Len.
Anton appeared on the BBC program via video link, where he revealed the advice Len gave him before becoming a harsh judge in 2021.
Head judge: Len was a popular judge on Strictly, having joined the show when it launched in 2004 and remaining on the panel through 2016.
Illness: Len Goodman was only months into his retirement when he died (LR: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, pictured in 2012)
The ballroom pundit told viewers, “He said to me when I got the job…” before choking.
He continued: “Ridiculous, isn’t it? When I got the job, he said, “Say what you see and be yourself.” And that’s exactly what Len was like. He was himself. I was lucky enough to know him for a long time.’
When Anton said he was “lucky enough to call Len a friend,” an emotional Alex replied, “Oh, what a lovely tribute.”
Len was a popular judge on Strictly, having joined the show when it launched in 2004 and remaining on the panel until 2016.
Not only did he gain a legion of fans in the UK, but he also became a big name in the US after joining the American version of the show Dancing With The Stars. He stayed with the series from 2005 to 2022.
The TV star started his career as a welder and only became interested in dancing when his doctor told him to take it up to help him recover from a foot injury.
Len later became a successful professional dancer winning titles including The British Exhibition Championships and World Exhibition Championships and later continued his love of dance after retiring by founding the Goodman Dance Academy in Kent to help others achieve their dreams.
After finding fame on television, he chronicled his rise to fame in his 2009 memoir Better Late Than Never: From Barrow Boy to Ballroom and published two other tomes – Len’s Lost London and Dancing Around Britain.
Last year he announced his retirement from Dancing With The Stars and in his final episode he was presented with his own Mirrorball trophy.
Len said of the award: “This is fantastic. “It was a great pleasure for me to have been a part of Dancing with the Stars. It really has.
“I had such a wonderful time and this is absolutely the icing on the cake.”