Dancing With the Stars judge Len Goodman’s official cause of death has been revealed months after his passing.
Goodman died from prostate cancer which spread to his bones, according to his death certificate obtained by U.K.’s Daily Express.
The former DWTS judge died on April 22 at age 78, Us Weekly confirmed at the time. He passed “peacefully,” a statement from his agent, Jackie Gill, read.
“A much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him,” the statement continued, adding that Goodman was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.
Goodman kicked off his dance career at age 19 and won multiple ballroom competitions over the years. He won the Carl Alan Award — which recognizes teachers and choreographers in the dance industry — in 2006 and 2007, and opened the Goodman Dance Academy.
Once his time as a dancer came to an end, Goodman was a judge on the British competition show Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2016. He started his DWTS tenure in 2005, alongside fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
After 31 seasons, he announced his DWTS retirement in 2022
“I’ve been with the show since it started in 2005 and it has been a huge pleasure to be part of such a wonderful show, but I’ve decided I would like to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain,” he shared at the time. “I cannot thank you enough, the Dancing With the Stars family, it’s been such a wonderful experience for me and I’m looking forward so much to next week’s finale.”
DWTS has honored Goodman’s memory in various ways since his death. When season 32 premiered on September 26, fans got a first look at the newly-designed Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
“Though he is certainly irreplaceable, … we wanted to keep his spirit alive,” host Julianne Hough shared. “It’s so fantastic that Len will always be going forward with us.”
DWTS executive producer Conrad Green also weighed in on renaming the show’s coveted trophy.
“The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy will now be lifted on Dancing With the Stars like the Vince Lombardi trophy is lifted at the Super Bowl,” Green shared in a statement to USA Today published on September 20. “We wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show, to always remind people the importance he’s had to Dancing With the Stars and how much he meant to all of us.”
