Strictly's Anton Du Beke tears up as he pays tribute to Len Goodman
Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke teared up as he paid tribute to Len Goodman following his death.
Appearing via video link on Monday's The One Show, Du Beke fought back tears as he remembered the former Strictly judge who died on Saturday night (April 22) after battling bone cancer.
''I have known him for 40 years as a man, as a boy. I remember him judging me as a young boy," Du Beke said of his longtime friend.
Related: Strictly Come Dancing stars pay tribute to Len Goodman following his death aged 78
"I would value his comments above everyone else because he knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was lucky to have known him for 40 years. He was a great friend. We would spend hours chatting and laughing. He was a joy to be with. That was the thing about Len, he was a joy to be with and he gave off so much joy.
"I was lucky enough to know him, for a long time, and lucky enough to call him a friend, so I miss him," Du Beke said as host Alex Jones became tearful.
Du Beke also took to social media to pay tribute to Goodman posting an emotional statement to Twitter in which he called his friend a "wonderful character".
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"It’s incredibly difficult to find the words to encapsulate Len, because he was everything but he was also simply, Len. I first knew him when I was a young lad and was dancing, he was my dance judge," Du Beke wrote. "He had a way about him that you really wanted him to like you. If Len liked you, it was more important than anyone else liking you.
"A national treasure certainly, but more importantly to me he was my friend. I was very lucky to know him. I'm going to miss you, Len."
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