Len Goodman leaves 'Dancing with the Stars' after 10 years

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Len Goodman arrives at the premiere for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, May 19, 2007.
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Len Goodman is stepping down after 10 years as a judge on Dancing with the Stars.

"Len will not be returning as a judge this season on Dancing with the Stars due to his schedule as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing in the U.K. and the birth of his new grandson," said showrunner Rob Wade in a statement, according to Entertainment Weekly. "He still might be involved in the season at some capacity, but we will have to wait and see. We are planning on having great guest judges for some shows to join Bruno [Tonioli], Carrie Ann [Inaba] and Julianne [Hough], and I'm sure we will see Len in the ballroom again soon."

Goodman told reporters that he planned to leave the show back in December, according to Digital Spy.

"Next year, I'm not going to do the flying backwards and forwards - I'm not going to do the American show...I've got to have a bit of time off," Goodman said. "I've got my wife, I've got my son, my mother is still alive and she's in hospital - I've had virtually no time to go and visit her."

Derek Hough, Mark Ballas, and Karina Smirnoff will be among the pros returning this season. The cast for season 21 of Dancing with the Stars will be revealed on Wednesday, September 2.

Dancing with the Stars premieres Monday, Sept. 14 on ABC.