{"id":57614,"date":"2023-11-29T04:11:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T04:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/11\/29\/dwts-derek-hough-tears-up-talking-about-len-goodman-during-semifinals\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T04:11:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T04:11:34","slug":"dwts-derek-hough-tears-up-talking-about-len-goodman-during-semifinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/11\/29\/dwts-derek-hough-tears-up-talking-about-len-goodman-during-semifinals\/","title":{"rendered":"DWTS’ Derek Hough Tears Up Talking About Len Goodman During Semifinals"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Derek Hough<\/strong><\/a> got emotional while praising Dancing With the Stars<\/em><\/a> contestant Xochitl Gomez<\/strong> during the semifinals on Tuesday, November 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking how important this season is, what the gravity of this season means \u2026 because this is the first time that we have the Len Goodman<\/a> trophy,\u201d Hough, 38, told Gomez, 17, after her Waltz with partner Val Chmerkovskiy<\/strong> to \u201cLa Vie En Rose\u201d by Lady Gaga<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll tell you right now, Len would\u2019ve loved that dance,\u201d Hough continued, as he held back tears. \u201cThat was absolutely perfect. Perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goodman died at age 78<\/a> in April, less than one year after he retired from DWTS<\/em><\/a> following season 31. He served as a judge on the reality competition series from 2005 to 2022. In September, DWTS\u2019 grand prize, the Mirrorball Trophy, was renamed in Goodman\u2019s honor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Len Goodman Through the Years: The ‘DWTS’ Judge’s Life in Photos<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tRemembering a dance legend. After achieving success as a ballroom dancer, Len Goodman found fame as a TV judge on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With the Stars. Goodman \u2014 who died in April 2023 at age 78, just three days shy of his 79th birthday \u2014 began his career on the dance floor at [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy will now be lifted on Dancing With the Stars<\/em> like the Vince Lombardi trophy is lifted at the Super Bowl,\u201d executive producer Conrad Green<\/strong> told USA Today<\/em> at the time. \u201cWe wanted to make Len a permanent part of this show, to always remind people the importance he\u2019s had to Dancing With the Stars<\/em> and how much he meant to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show further celebrated Goodman\u2019s legacy last month when former DWTS<\/em> pros including Maks Chmerkovskiy<\/strong>, Mark Ballas<\/strong> and Karina Smirnoff<\/strong> returned for a tribute dance to the late judge<\/a> set to Henry Mancini\u2019s \u201cMoon River.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahead of the moving performance, the performers shared memories of Goodman via a pre-recorded video.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I\u2019m most thankful for [about] being able to judge alongside Len, is I was able to spend a little bit more extra time with him,\u201d Hough said, getting choked up.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>‘DWTS’ Judges Through the Years<\/a>
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\n\t\t\tThe judges have spoken! Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli have been staples on the Dancing With the Stars\u2018 judging table since day one \u2014 but they aren\u2019t the only stars who\u2019ve weighed in on the contestants\u2019 performances. Since the show\u2019s 2005 start the trio of judges have been joined by a variety [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\n Len Goodman.<\/span> Vince Bucci\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After Hough invoked Goodman while praising Gomez on Tuesday, the other judges shared similarly glowing feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is dancing and there is artistry,\u201d Bruno Tonioli<\/strong> told the actress. \u201cYou have an amazing future in front of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrie Ann Inaba<\/strong> also got emotional after watching the performance. When cohost Alfonso Ribeiro<\/strong> reminded her to lock in her score, she apologized, saying she was \u201ctaken aback.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inaba, 55, then told Gomez: \u201cYou really touched my heart. It transported me to another world. I just felt like I never wanted it to end and that\u2019s so rare after 32 seasons of watching dances and dances. That was stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy on \u2018Dancing With the Stars.\u2019<\/span> Disney\/Eric McCandless<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gomez was the only contestant of the night to receive perfect scores for both of her dances. At the end of Tuesday\u2019s episode, Ribeiro, 52, and his cohost, Julianne Hough<\/strong>, announced which duos had made it to the finale until only Gomez and Chmerkovskiy, 37, and Ariana Madix<\/strong> and Pasha Pashkov<\/strong> remained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe couple dancing in the finale will be \u2026 both of you!\u201d Ribeiro revealed.<\/p>\n

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