'Strictly Come Dancing': Brendan Cole Reveals Len Goodman's Send-Off Hit Some Professionals Hard

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pro Brendan Cole has opened up about Len Goodman’s emotional departure from the show.

Saturday night’s (17 December) final marked Len’s last live show as Head Judge, and he was given a special send-off, with past contestants bidding farewell, and the professional dancers choreographing a routine in his honour.

While Len was seen tearing up as he said goodbye to ‘Strictly’, Brendan has now admitted that several of the professionals were left similarly emotional.

Writing in his weekly Digital Spy column, he said: “Our dance for Len was obviously really poignant and just a really nice thing to do on the live show. The waltz is actually my favourite dance, so it was a really nice thing to do that and pay tribute to our Lenny. But it was very emotional - half the girls were crying, for goodness’ sake.

“When I walked up to Natalie [Lowe] before she and Anton [Du Beke] started the dance, to say, ‘Have a good one’, she pushed me away and slapped her hands in front of her eyes as if she was about to start crying because she couldn’t take it! So that was really funny, but she’s an emotional one, is our Natalie. We don’t mind that!”

Discussing the future of ‘Strictly’, he continued: “The show is definitely going to miss Len. It’s like when Brucie left - it’s sad for the show, because the show is not the same without our Bruce, but the show goes on and the show changes.

“And it doesn’t change for the worse, it just changes into something different. As much as the show will miss having our head judge, whatever happens next year, it will be a slight change but hopefully it won’t be a bad thing, it will just be different.”

Brendan has been repeatedly named as a potential successor to Len, as have fellow ‘Strictly’ professionals past and present, Anton Du Beke and Karen Hardy.

Addressing the rumours, he said: “My name has been thrown out there, and I’d certainly like to be considered in the mix - I’d be honoured.

“If the BBC consider me, that would be amazing. If they don’t, then so be it. It’s their decision and they’ll make whatever decision is right for the show. We’ll wait and see on that front and see what they want to do!”

Also in the frame to take over Len’s job are Australian ‘Dancing With The Stars’ judge Helen Richey and Darcey Bussell, who was recently rumoured for a promotion to Head Judge status.