Dancing With The Stars Judge Len Goodman Gave Derek Hough A Gift Before Death

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) fans, cast and crew recently mourned the death of long-time judge Len Goodman. The beloved DWTS judge died in late April at age 78 after a diagnosis of cancer. And now his colleague and friend, Dancing With The Stars pro and judge Derek Hough, feels ready to discuss his loss.

Learn what Derek revealed. And discover the special gift Goodman gave him on his last day on DWTS. Get all the details below.

Dancing With The Stars Cast Mourns Loss Of Len Goodman

Derek Hough recently appeared on the Whine Down With Jana Kramer podcast to discuss his emotions about the death of Dancing With The Stars judge Len Goodman. In the wake of Goodman’s death on April 22 at 78, Hough admitted his shock. Len had moved to a hospice after his diagnosis of cancer, which took his life, noted Digital Spy.

But on the podcast, Derek confessed that Goodman’s Dancing With The Stars colleagues did not realize the severity of his illness. “We certainly didn’t know the extent,” recalled Hough about the shock the entire DWTS cast experienced. “Because this was a huge shock to all of us. And it’s incredibly sad.”

And since losing Goodman, Hough described the “countless tears and phone calls” that the cast has shared. “I feel incredibly emotional and sad about it,” confessed Derek. “And then at the same time, I feel so grateful that the last season that we shared together. I really savored the moments I spent with him and we were playful with each other and we had these one-on-one conversations.”

#DancingWithTheStars judge Derek Hough reflects on losing his late friend and colleague Len Goodman. pic.twitter.com/97fGFBogeE

— E! News (@enews) May 5, 2023

Derek Hough Reveals DWTS Judge Len Goodman’s Gift

But Derek also shared his memories of Goodman. For instance, Hough described a gift that Len gave Derek on his last day on the DWTS set. It consisted of a beautifully framed picture of the DWTS judge.

“I walked in my dressing room and there’s this giant picture of Len,” recalled Hough. “It was framed, beautiful gold frame and it’s a picture of him and it had this handwritten message from him. It was so beautiful,” he added. “But also like, inappropriate humor. It was a hilarious thing he wrote as well. And it was signed by him. I was just so touched and moved by that. Just thinking how our lives were so intertwined.”

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And Hough likely will remember Goodman when the 32nd season of Dancing With The Stars premieres this fall. Goodman had served as head judge for almost 30 seasons before revealing his retirement last year. This autumn, look for the other two judges, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, to return. And Derek will join them as a judge. However, it remains unknown whether DWTS will replace Goodman, return to the original three-judge format, or rely on guest judges, according to Yahoo. 

Tell us what you think. How do you feel about Derek Hough’s comments on the late DWTS judge Len Goodman? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more Dancing With The Stars news.