Len’s judge dread
Dancer finds Strictly hard to watch as he criticises panel
LEN Goodman has told how he finds it hard watching Strictly as a fan because he still acts like a judge.
The former professional dancer said he cannot help but spot things in performances that serving panellists, including Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas, may have missed.
Len, who quit the BBC show in 2016, said: “I enjoy it.
“I try to watch it just as a punter, just to be entertained, but it’s difficult because you’re always judging things and I’m always thinking of things the judges should have said.”
The 77-year-old now features in Channel 4 show Can I Improve My Memory?
And he admits it has brought back thoughts of Strictly.
In the programme, celebrities compete in unique challenges using memory techniques over a diverse range of subjects.
Len said: “I felt it was a bit like Strictly Come Dancing, because on that you get a dance, like the waltz, and you have a week to learn as much as you can, then you get tested, and then the following week you get the cha-cha-cha, which is totally different. It has made me more aware of how important memory is.
“And it’s helped with remembering people’s names.”
Len used to judge Strictly on a Saturday and then fly to the US the next day to be on the Dancing with the Stars panel on a Monday.
And he admitted he often used to forget who had been booted off the UK show.
He told TV Times magazine: “It’s a funny thing with your memory. Once I got to America, someone would say, ‘Who got knocked out on Strictly?’ And I truly couldn’t remember at all. Because I was so focused on the American show. And vice versa, once I got back to England, I was totally focused on Strictly here.”
It’s difficult as you’re always judging things and thinking what judges should have said LEN GOODMAN FORMER JUDGE ON WATCHING STRICTLY AS A FAN