Len Goodman had a tearful moment as he said goodbye to βStrictly Come Dancingβ during this yearβs live final on Saturday night (17 December).
After 14 series as the Head Judge on βStrictlyβ, Len announced earlier this year that he was stepping down from the panel, with this yearβs final serving as his last ever live show.
He was visibly tearful as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman introduced a pre-recorded segment featuring past contestants and fellow judges, before giving a moving speech revealing what heβd miss most about the show.
After getting a standing ovation from the rest of the panel, he said: βI will miss everything about the show, I promise you.
βIβll miss just turning up, and the anticipation of whatβs going to occur. Iβll miss what I consider the three best judges on television, on any of these kinds of show. Being close to the band and the fabulous singers - Iβll miss you two.
β[βStrictlyβ] is a big machine, and every cog needs to work to make the whole thing. Iβll miss every cog, because thatβs what makes βStrictlyβ into βStrictlyβ.β
Attention now turns to whoβll be replacing Len as Head Judge, with βStrictlyβ pro Anton Du Beke, who has appeared in every series since the show launched, repeatedly being named as a potential contender.
Len has endorsed Anton as a possible successor in the past, as well as former pro dancer Karen Hardy, more recently insisting that he just wanted his replacement to have a history of ballroom.
During this yearβs final, Len was particularly generous with his famous β10s from Lenβ, giving two of the three competitors top marks for their impressive showdance routines.