Len Goodman is retiring from ‘Dancing With the Stars’ to spend time with family.
Goodman, 58, received a standing ovation when he was announced as the second ballroom partner on Monday night’s show.
When Goodman took the stage to perform a song with his partner, partner Caeleb Dressel-Abbott, he seemed not to be in any hurry to leave. He wagged his head while watching rehearsals, and appeared content to dance with Dressel-Abbott the entire night.
Goodman has been with the reality show since 2009, and will host two final seasons.
The former Dancing With the Stars champion says he will be away from the competition but will continue to appear on the show with his sister, Brooke, whom he has been with since she was 12.
“I’ll be somewhere at home with my family,” Goodman said. “I’m happy with what’s happened in past seasons. I love to dance and I can’t wait to do it with my sister.”
Goodman will have two solo judges for the season, Tony Dovolani and Carrie Ann Inaba.
But he’s the only dancer to win the Mirror Ball, a solo competition where he and Dressel-Abbott would compete against each other on a dance routine and with their partner’s music.
Goodman and Dressel-Abbott were the first couple to win the Mirror Ball, which aired the night of May 23, 2006, when they were joined on the stage by the show’s first host, Jane Lynch.
Since then, Goodman has won just three times. He competed in the 2008, ’09, and ’10 seasons, winning the Mirror Ball in all three. He was also eliminated in 2008 by dance partner Jonathan Robinson.
Dressel-Abbott has been with Dancing With the Stars since 2009.
Dressel-Abbott is known for his “knees-ups” dance and his famous “sidesplash” dance, which he would do while balancing on one leg