Tom Bergeron Remembers ‘DWTS’ Judge Len Goodman (Exclusive)

Former “Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron is reflecting on the passing of longtime judge Len Goodman.

“Extra’s” Billy Bush spoke with Tom about Len, who died from bone cancer at the age of 78.

When asked if he knew about Len’s health, Tom shared, “I had seen a few pictures from their last season. It looked as if he had lost quite a bit of weight and I knew he had a bout with cancer some years ago so I was concerned based on that. I thought there might have been some health issues, which made him decide to, you know, retire.”

While many saw Len as “grumpy,” Tom said, “What I’ll remember is the smile and the twinkle in the eye. He would always honestly critique the dances, but he would rachet up the grouchy for television. I remember times, like, we’d go to a commercial break and he’d call me over, he’d go, ‘That was good, wasn’t it?’”

As for the first time he met, Tom commented, “I think the first time I met all the judges — Carrie Ann, Bruno and Len — was at a lunch with the producers back in 2005… I remember because chemistry… it’s like catching lightning in a bottle and it doesn’t always happen and I walked away from that lunch thinking, ‘I don’t know if this show is going to be a hit, but it’s going to be fun.’”

Tom remembered Len as a “sweetheart,” saying, “it was always one of my greatest pleasures, when we’d, you know, be coming back from hiatus to see him in the offices walking around in his golf shirt and shorts with that infectious smile.”

Bergeron noted that one of his favorite parts about hosting the show was “teasing” Len. He dished, “There was a point where he said to me towards the later seasons, he said, ‘You’re not picking on my age as much anymore.’ I said, ‘Yeah, because now I’m older than you were when we started.’”