Maksim and Val Chmerkovskiy Say 'Dance Granddad' Len Goodman Was 'the Anchor' of 'Dancing with the Stars'

Val Chmerkovskiy said Dancing with the Stars will "very different" without head judge Len Goodman, who died of bone cancer last month

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and his brother Val are remembering their Dancing with the Stars costar and head judge, Len Goodman.

The professional dancers recalled their strong bond with Goodman — who died from bone cancer last month at age 78 — starting from the early days of their career to their time together on DWTS.

"Len Goodman had that type of authority in the dance world and he earned that authority," Val, 37, told Entertainment Tonight. "Not just on camera but behind the scenes for 50 years of being in competitive ballroom dancing, so we know Len from those days."

Related:Len Goodman, Former Dancing with the Stars Head Judge, Dead at 78

"And then to have been introduced to Len on camera in front of millions of people, he felt like family," he continued. "He felt like a granddad to us, our dance granddad and yeah, we'll miss him. I think the show will be very different without him."

Related:Derek Hough Calls News of Len Goodman's Bone Cancer a 'Shock' and Reveals DWTS Judge's Parting Gift to Him

Maskim, 43, discussed how Goodman, who was head judge of Dancing with the Stars from 2005 to 2022, impacted the dance competition show.

"Just looking back at whatever I look at that was significant for me, he was there in some way or form. I felt close to him as a person, but I felt close to the idea of Len Goodman... I think Len was the anchor that held all three of them down through some periods of time," he said referring to Goodman and his fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.

He continued: "But the character of Len Goodman is what made the show a big part of what made the show stick around, stay and he developed that character for other countries. They all try to find a Len Goodman and it's hard because they can't, really."

RELATED VIDEO: Len Goodman, Former Dancing with the Stars Head Judge, Dead at 78

Goodman's manager Jackie Gill confirmed his death in a statement released on April 24.

"It is with great sadness to announce that Len Goodman has passed away peacefully, aged 78," Gill said in the statement shared with BBC News. "A much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him."

Gill said Goodman died one day earlier at a hospice in Kent, England, surrounded by his family.

"Len Goodman will always be an icon in the world of ballroom dance, and we were lucky to have him as part of our 'Dancing with the Stars' family for 31 seasons. He was warm and caring, and always delivered genuine guidance," the official DWTS Twitter account wrote. "We are devastated by the news of his passing and our hearts are with his family during this very difficult time."

Related:Julianne Hough Joining Alfonso Ribeiro as DWTS Co-Host After Tyra Banks' Exit

Maksim and Val also opened up to Entertainment Tonight about the news of Julianne Hough joining Alfonso Ribeiro as co-host of the series after Tyra Banks announced her plans to exit the show following three seasons in March.

"She's not just qualified, she's kind of been in every single role in the show and it's a family show, so that familiarity is important," Maksim said of Hough, who was a pro on DWTS from 2007 to 2009 and served as a judge from 2014 to 2021. "I think those are the things that people at home are looking for as well. She's familiar. There's a lot of ties and because of that it'll add to the show and she'll do a great job."

He added that he was "very happy" with Ribeiro, adding, "It wasn't the negativity towards Tyra or whether or not I think she did a good job or not, we can turn that page if we want and now I'm super happy for this dude who owned it, who has it. He's the guy for the job."

Val chimed in, "Just to speak on Tyra. She came in at a very turbulent time in the show and in entertainment in general. We were going through COVID, a lot of that onstage rules of distance and all that stuff I think was a hurdle for her and for all of us to bond and connect and I think she held it down."

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Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars is set to premiere this fall on ABC and Disney+.

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