Cheryl Burke shared her own tribute to the late Len Goodman after claiming she wasn’t invited to participate in the official Dancing With the Stars memorial performance.
“There are special people who never leave us, even after they are gone. Len Goodman is one of them… 🤍,” Burke, 39, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, October 24, alongside an emotional video.
In the clip, Burke spoke directly to the camera while reflecting on her close bond with Goodman, who died in April at age 78. “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 said. “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.”
Burke recalled that Goodman was “one of the many judges” who she performed for while competing in Europe as a teenager long before DWTS began in 2005. “To this day … I always get asked who my favorite judge is,” she said. “And without hesitation, I would consistently and still to this day say Len Goodman.”
She praised Goodman for “being the face of ballroom dancing and always standing by what was right no matter what,” noting that Goodman was “a huge part of why Dancing With the Stars is a massive hit.” Burke went on to remember his “tough love and no B.S. approach” to judging on the ABC ballroom dance competition, stating that she always “looked up to” and admired his expert opinion.
“More importantly, your respect for the art and sport of ballroom dance showed me and millions of people how much you truly cared. … All you ever wanted to see was strictly ballroom,” she continued.
Burke got emotional as she addressed Goodman’s family, wiping tears from her eyes while noting that her biggest goal on DWTS was to make Goodman “proud.” She thanked her late colleague “for changing my life” and “for bringing joy to millions of people” who tuned in to DWTS over the years.
As she concluded her tribute, Burke gave a shout-out to the DWTS cast members performing on Tuesday’s episode — Maks Chmerkovskiy, Kym Johnson-Herjavec, Tony Dovolani, Mark Ballas and more. “[I] wish all of the pro dancers tonight who are taking part in Len’s tribute so much love,” she said. “I know that Len would give your performance an 11 if he could.”
Burke raised eyebrows earlier this month when she claimed she wasn’t asked to join the DWTS tribute. “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!” she wrote via Threads on Thursday, October 19. “Sending love and light to everyone. 🤍🙏🏼 #riplen.”
Cohosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough announced during the October 17 episode of DWTS that a memorial routine was in the works to honor Goodman.. Before season 32 premiered in September, it was revealed that the show renamed its final prize — the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy — as a way to keep the late star’s spirit alive.
Goodman was one of the original judges when DWTS debuted in 2005 alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. He announced his retirement in November 2022. Former pro Derek Hough has since joined the judging panel.
