Tributes paid to Strictly judge Goodman

Strictly Come Dancing professional couple Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara said that no one can ever fill the shoes of departing judge Len Goodman.

The engaged pair are in rehearsals for the forthcoming 14th series of the BBC show, starting on Saturday, which will be head judge Goodman’s final one after 12 years turning his appraising eye to celebrities’ cha cha chas.

Skorjanec, 26, compared Goodman’s peerless tenure to Hollywood legend Fred Astaire, who the couple are set to celebrate in a new theatre show after the series is over.

He said: “It’s kind of like Fred Astaire, no one is ever going to replace Fred and Len has left such an incredible, huge mark on this TV show.

“He’s probably one of the biggest reasons the show is so successful the way it is today.”

Strictly dancers Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec.