A look back on Len Goodman's life - from the East End to Strictly Come Dancing studio
Joy Tolhurst was a former world champion. At her first dance lesson, Goodman was hampered by wearing a winklepicker on one foot and a carpet slipper on the other. Slowly, he fell in love with the both the waltz and Mrs Tolhurst's daughter.
They married and opened their own dance school in Dartford. The couple won a rising star competition in Blackpool - but decided not to compete professionally again. When the dancing stopped, everything collapsed. Cherry left him for a multi-millionaire Frenchman, leaving Len in an empty house and with only half a business.
In truth, he wasn't looking for new challenges. He was hoping to wind down his business and play a little golf. But his competitive instincts kicked in, so Goodman caught the bus to Strictly's Elstree studios, wearing his best tweed suit. The audience loved his pithy observations. "It's a lovely rise and fall, up and down like a bride's nightie," he told one nervous contestant. "You're just like a trifle - fruity at the top but a little bit spongy down below," he informed another.
For more than a decade, he crossed the Atlantic twice a week - appearing as head judge on both shows simultaneously. While in LA, he shared an apartment complex with Tonioli - with Bruno doing the cooking and Len the ironing.
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