Former “Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer Cheryl Burke remembered late head judge Len Goodman after allegedly not being invited to the show’s tribute special.
On Tuesday, Burke, 39, posted a video to her Instagram page where she honored Goodman in her own way.
“Even though I am not going to be in the ballroom tonight, I still want to be able to express how much Len Goodman meant to me and the influence he had on my competitive career even before ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” she shared. “There are not enough words to honestly describe how much he really made such a huge impact on my life, but why not give it a shot?”
In her video, Burke revealed Goodman was “one of the many judges” when she competed in Europe as a teenager. She also said she continually recognized him as her “favorite judge” in interviews “without hesitation.”
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She continued:
“Mr. Len Goodman, thank you for being the face of ballroom dancing and always standing by what was right, no matter what. You are such a huge part of the reason why ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is a massive hit as the premise is about teaching celebrities how to ballroom dance, and the word ‘ballroom’ before the word ‘dance’ was all because of your many decades worth of knowledge and experience.”
Furthermore, Burke, who had been a part of the show for 26 seasons, according to People, said she appreciated Goodman’s “tough love” and “no B.S. approach” as it was “admirable” and something she “looked up to.”
Burke concluded, “Thank you so much for representing us ballroom dancers and never compromising what we stood for in the ballroom community. Thank you for changing my life and for bringing joy to millions of people who have been watching us throughout the years.”
This came after a post she made on Threads on Oct. 20, claiming she was not asked to attend the “Dancing with the Stars” tribute show for Goodman on Tuesday.
“For those of you asking if I’ll be a part of Len Goodman’s tribute next week on DWTS, unfortunately, I wasn’t invited however, I’ll be there in spirit and can’t wait to cheer my former colleagues on! Sending love and light to everyone,” she wrote.
Goodman died on April 22 after prostate cancer spread to his bones. He was 78 years old.
Goodman’s manager, Jackie Gill, gave a statement to BBC News announcing the news of his passing.
“It is with great sadness to announce that Len Goodman has passed away peacefully, aged 78. A much-loved husband, father, and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends, and all who knew him,” she said.
