Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke emotionally paid tribute to the late Len Goodman as the BBC series celebrated 20 years on TV.
The 58-year-old media personality was one of countless Strictly icons to grace the screen tonight to take a trip down memory lane on Strictly Come Dancing: 20 Fabulous Years.
The episode also featured commentary from hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, pros such as Johannes Radebe and Aljaz Skorjanec, and past contestants like Ed Balls, Joe Sugg and Layton Williams.
The episode featured an in-memoriam for all those who we have ‘loved and loss’ who have passed through the Strictly ballroom, including Hairy Bikers Dave Myers, Strictly winner Caroline Flack, pro Robin Windsor and the inimitable Bruce Forsyth.
There was also a section devoted to Len who was head judge from 2004 to 2016. He died in April 2023 aged 78, after being diagnosed with cancer.
Anton – a pro since 2004 before becoming a judge in 2021 – got visibly emotional as he tried to find the words to commemorate him and his legacy.
‘I find it hard..’ he started as he began to tear up, commenting: ‘Look at me I must be getting old.’
He continued: ‘I find it hard to talk about Len without getting emotional because he was at the beginning, and I loved him. He was, he was incredible.
‘If I could be half as good a judge as Len, I’ll have done all right.’
He wasn’t the only one to share kind words about the beloved dancer.
‘Len was the most special. He really was. He was kind, he was twinkly, he was naughty but more than anything is he was so supportive to everybody,’ Claudia said.
‘Oh my lovely Len,’ former judge Bruno Tonioli added. ‘Len totally allowed me to be me. He supported me 100%.’
‘Len was just exactly like you saw him in the ballroom on the judging panel. An absolute gentleman. Always had that mischievous glint in his eye’ Tess added.
Fellow judge Crag Revel Horwood praised him as ‘fantastic’, adding: ‘A very charitable, very loving, very generous human being.’
The entire segment made Strictly fans emotional as well.
‘Well 20th anniversary episode of Strictly made me sob,’ @sabotageomar wrote on X.
‘God the last 15 minutes of this special has had me in TEARS,’ @karistbh added.
‘These tributes are making me sob,’ @ericawilsonx echoed.
And there was plenty of praise for such an ‘incredible’ look back at the show’s rich and long history which reflected on some great highlights over the years from Rose-Ayling Ellis’ history-making win to the hilarious slip-ups.
‘What an absolutely brilliant documentary, the perfect tribute to what is undoubtedly the most joyous and beautiful show on television,’ @_erinz_ added.
‘That was an incredible trip down memory lane,’ @2001joe_mendy said.
‘They really did that 20-year special episode a lot of justice. Good work to everyone on Strictly,’ @twellywatcher praised.
After a turbulent year for the series due to a slew of scandals involving negative accusations against pro-dancers such as Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, all eyes were on the 2024 series.
However, there was plenty of celebration for the groundbreaking 2024 Strictly winner, blind comedian Chris McCausland with his partner Dianne Buswell.
The show will return for a star-studded Christmas special with celebrities such as Josh Widdemcombe and Vogue Williams bringing their best moves to the dance floor.
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