On Tuesday night, Dancing with the Stars paid tribute to its late head judge, Len Goodman, in an emotional event that left everyone in tears. The theme of the night was Most Memorable Year for the remaining 10 celebrity dancers, resulting in a powerful and moving evening of television.
A 10 for Len
Len Goodman, a well-respected figure in the ballroom dance community, passed away at age 78 in April. He had retired from DWTS four months prior. Many of the current and past pro dancers competing on the show had grown up under his mentorship, making it no surprise that they returned to dance in his honor. The tribute performance was a waltz choreographed by Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson, ending with a spotlight on Goodman’s empty chair, leaving the audience and judges in tears.
Viewers took to social media to express their emotions about the tribute, with comments like:
I’ve been crying pretty much this whole episode but this Len tribute…UGLY CRYING #dwts
— vanessa🌸 (@nessa1320) October 25, 2023
The Len tribute was so beautiful I started crying. I’ve been watching DWTS since s1 so this was so touching #dwts
— bonni 💫 | (Taylors Version) (@pebubbz) October 25, 2023
That Len Goodman tribute was wonderful. I’m still crying! #DWTS
— RealityAddict (@RealityAddict22) October 25, 2023
Prior to the tribute performance, a pre-taped package featured past dancers reflecting on their time with Goodman, highlighting his love for the show and the impact he had on their lives.
Other highs and lows
Among the celebrity dancers, Bachelorette star Charity Lawson and actress Xochitl Gomez received the highest scores of the night, closely followed by singer Jason Mraz. Influencer Harry Jowsey had the lowest score, while actress Alyson Hannigan also scored near the bottom.
Additionally, Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix opened up about the challenges she has faced, including a cheating scandal and the loss of her grandmother. After her performance, Madix became emotional, thinking about how much her grandmother would have enjoyed seeing her on the show.
Mira’s shocking exit
Despite finishing near the bottom, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino was eliminated from the competition due to the audience vote. She chose the year 2004 to honor the birth of her daughter, Mattea, who also performed in their routine.
Looking ahead
Next week, the show will celebrate Halloween with a Monster Night theme.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC and Disney+ and streams the following day on Hulu.