âDancing with the Starsâ is paying tribute to late head judge Len Goodman by renaming the dance competition showâs trophy in his honor.
In an exclusive interview with USA Today, executive producer Conrad Green revealed the trophy would be renamed the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy and will be unveiled during the showâs premiere episode on Tuesday.
âThe Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy will now be lifted on âDancing with the Starsâ like the Vince Lombardi trophy is lifted at the Super Bowl,â Green said. âWe wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show, to always remind people the importance heâs had to âDancing with the Starsâ and how much he meant to all of us.â
The episode will pause to honor Goodman and Green shared viewers can expect the tribute to be âa really moving moment.â
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âLen loves this show and will always be there, looking down on us,â he added.
Goodman became head judge of âDancing with the Starsâ when the show premiered in 2005. He retired in 2022 after 13 seasons, according to USA Today.
Green recalled the positive impact Goodman made while on the show.
âLen always had a twinkle in his eye and a brilliant turn of phrase. He was very fair and knew what he was talking about,â he said.
He continued, âThe respect he brought made the show stand on its own two feet. The dancers always wanted to know what Len thought of their performance.â
Additionally, Green assured another tribute to Goodman would take place on the show later in the season âwith a proper look backâ at his performances, career, and video tributes. He said the showâs new cast and trophy âwill be fitting for a season that is a bit of a restart.â
Goodman died on April 22 after a battle with bone cancer, the BBC reported. He was 78 years old.
His manager, Jackie Gill, remembered him as âa much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him.â
