U.K.-born Len Goodman had begun a career as an engineering apprentice when he changed his mind and became a dancer at the age of 20 in 1964.

He excelled in Latin and ballroom dance and soon turned pro, winning many competitions, including the British Championships. He married his dance partner, Cherry, though they later divorced, and retired from professional dancing in his late twenties. He continued to teach dance and eventually became a judge on the hit ABC reality series Dancing With the Stars.