“Dancing with the Stars” is paying tribute to late head judge Len Goodman by renaming the dance competition show’s trophy in his honor.
In an exclusive interview with USA Today, executive producer Conrad Green revealed the trophy would be renamed the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy and will be unveiled during the show’s premiere episode on Tuesday.
“The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy will now be lifted on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ like the Vince Lombardi trophy is lifted at the Super Bowl,” Green said. “We wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show, to always remind people the importance he’s had to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and how much he meant to all of us.”
The episode will pause to honor Goodman and Green shared viewers can expect the tribute to be “a really moving moment.”
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“Len loves this show and will always be there, looking down on us,” he added.
Goodman became head judge of “Dancing with the Stars” when the show premiered in 2005. He retired in 2022 after 13 seasons, according to USA Today.
Green recalled the positive impact Goodman made while on the show.
“Len always had a twinkle in his eye and a brilliant turn of phrase. He was very fair and knew what he was talking about,” he said.
He continued, “The respect he brought made the show stand on its own two feet. The dancers always wanted to know what Len thought of their performance.”
Additionally, Green assured another tribute to Goodman would take place on the show later in the season “with a proper look back” at his performances, career, and video tributes. He said the show’s new cast and trophy “will be fitting for a season that is a bit of a restart.”
Goodman died on April 22 after a battle with bone cancer, the BBC reported. He was 78 years old.
His manager, Jackie Gill, remembered him as “a much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him.”