Craig Revel Horwood: Len Goodman WAS Strictly Come Dancing
Craig Revel Horwood doesn't think Strictly Come Dancing is the same without Len Goodman and Shirley Ballas can't live up to the late ballroom legend.
Craig Revel Horwood doesn't think Strictly Come Dancing is the same without Len Goodman.
The 61-year-old choreographer has paid an emotional tribute to his late friend - who died of cancer in 2023 at the age of 78 - and joked Shirley Ballas, who replaced Len as head judge in 2016, hasn't been able to match his pal's iconic catchphrases on the show.
Speaking at the unveiling of a sculpture tribute to Len at the Goodman Dance Academy in Dartford, the Daily Mirror reports Craig said: "For me, he was Strictly Come Dancing. His sayings… ‘A ten from Len’ was a huge one. Shirley has tried to replicate that one, but sadly, she failed...
“I miss him from the bottom of my heart. Whenever I hear the Strictly theme music, I always think of Len Goodman and Bruce Forsyth.
"Because Len created Strictly. Without Len, I don’t think the show would have survived. He was a master at his craft. He was a comedian."
Craig also revealed Len and his wife Sue gave him secret lessons ahead of Strictly starting in 2004 because despite his dance background, he "didn't know" Latin or ballroom.
He said: "I loved Len. If you looked at the TV we were constantly fighting like cat and dog, but as soon as we came off stage we’d have a pally drink together."
"I am now the age Len was when he started Strictly. There was 20 years difference between us. I’ll let you into a little secret – when I started I was having nightmares because I didn’t know ballroom and Latin.
"He paired me with his lovely wife Sue in the room above where he was screaming at me from his platform, ‘No, no, that’s the change step, darling!’ He was hilarious and I totally loved him."
Meanwhile, the judge couldn't be happier with the new presenting line-up of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe.
He said: "I love Emma Willis, she is a master presenter, she's insanely good, Josh Widdicombe will be a good counterpart to that and he'll be giving me what for, because no ones really been answering me back of late and Jojo will be fantastic, he's been through it, he has compassion, he has everything, all the things I don't have, I am so glad he's still on the show."
