The expansive Dancing With the Stars community was stunned by the death of former judge Len Goodman on April 22. And well over a week later, they’re still processing the loss. DWTS judge Derek Hough was audibly overcome by the loss in a new interview as the topic came up. “Yeesh, yeah, sorry,” he said, as he sounded deeply emotional during an appearance on Jana Kramer‘s podcast Whine Down. “This was a huge shock to all of us,” he explained, per ET. While he was aware Len was “unwell,” he admitted the “extent” of the illness had escaped him.
The dancing great, who has known Len since he was just 12, said he “savored the moments I spent with him” before his death at age 78 in England, following a monumental career in dance. Len died of bone cancer. “I feel incredibly emotional and sad about it,” Derek said. A statement confirmed on April 24 that he “passed away peacefully,” and “will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him.”
Derek was among the first to speak out with a tribute on Instagram. “Heart broken by the news of our dear friend and mentor Len Goodman,” he wrote alongside pics and videos with the iconic judge. “It’s a gloomy morning here in Los Angeles which seems fitting after this heart breaking news. But when I think back at the memories we all shared with Len, his sense of humor, his smile and charm, everything feels much brighter and full of sunshine. Still hard to fully process but filled with gratitude knowing I had the privilege of working beside this absolute legend. We will miss you dearly Len. We love you. Rest in peace my friend.” ‘
In his podcast interview, Derek revealed Len had been “playful” to the end — Len announced he was leaving the show as head judge after 31 seasons in November. “We were playful with each other and we had these one-on-one conversations,” he shared. “Even before the last day, I walked in my dressing room and there’s this giant picture of Len framed, beautiful gold frame, and it’s a picture of him and it had this handwritten message from him. It was so beautiful but also, like, inappropriate humor, like funny. It was a hilarious thing he wrote, as well, and it was signed by him.”