Len Goodman, a beloved former judge on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Strictly Come Dancing,” died on Saturday at the age of 78.
In the days since, it’s come to light that the professional ballroom dancer made a heartbreaking prediction about his own demise ― and was off by just a few days.
Months ago, Goodman told the Daily Mail that he might die at the age of 79, like his father.
“Bing Crosby had the right idea. He played 18 holes of golf, then, bosh, dropped down dead. I don’t want a load of lingering,” Goodman told the outlet in December. “My dad had the right idea. He loved gardening and he had a stroke while he was out in the garden.”
“He was 79 so if I go the way of my dad, that’ll be next year,” the dancer added.
Goodman ended up dying just a few days short of his 79th birthday, which would have been Tuesday.
Goodman also suggested his Daily Mail interviewer start writing his obituary.
“Just say: ‘He was a dance teacher from Dartford who got lucky,’” the judge said at the time. “Because that’s just about the truth of it.”
Goodman’s agent, Jackie Gill, said the dancer “passed away peacefully,” and also shared that Goodman had been diagnosed with bone cancer.
Tributes poured in from friends, former colleagues and fans on Monday after his death was announced. Buckingham Palace said Queen Camilla was “saddened to hear” of Goodman’s death.
Fellow “DWTS” judge Carrie Ann Inaba paid loving tribute to Goodman, writing that her “dear friend” was “one of a kind.”
“I will cherish our memories and hold them close, while I join so many others in mourning your loss,” Inaba wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for all that you shared with us. Your humor, your wisdom, your wit and your truth.”
Bruno Tonioli, fellow “DWTS” panelist alongside Inaba and Goodman, wrote that his late friend “will always be my perfect 10.”
“I will treasure the memories of our adventures,” Tonioli said. “There will never be anyone like you.”