'DWTS': Derek Hough Tears up After Xochitl Gomez's Dance Len Goodman 'Would Have Loved'
Hough tearfully said that Goodman "would have loved" the waltz by Gomez and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy.
Dancing With The Stars judge Derek Hough was brought to tears after contestant Xochitl Gomez delivered a performance that he said late DWTS judge Len Goodman "would have loved." On Tuesday night's Season 32 semifinals, Gomez and her pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced an elegant and romantic waltz to "La Vie En Rose." Afterward, EW noted that it was very clear that they had made an impact on the judges.
"Len would have loved that dance," Hough told Gomez through tears. "That was absolutely perfect." Carrie Ann Inaba added tearfully, "You really touched my heart. I just felt like I never wanted it to end. That was stunning." Giving the pair a score of perfect 10, Inaba went on to say, "If it was Len, he'd give it a 10."
Gomez and Chmerkovskiy earned three perfect 10s from the judges panel, landing them the unbeatable total score of 60 points for the night. Notably, Hough also pointed out how significant it will be for the winner of DWTS Season 32, due to the fact that the award that comes with the championship has been rechristened as the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy in honor of the show's late judge.
Goodman died on April 22 at the age of 78 following a battle with bone cancer. "It is with great sadness to announce that Len Goodman has passed away peacefully, aged 78," his manager Jackie Gill shared in a statement. "A much loved husband, father and grandfather who will be sorely missed by family, friends and all who knew him."
Shortly after news of Goodman's death broke, ABC — the longtime network home of Dancing With the Stars — released a statement. "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," the network offered. "He was warm and caring and always delivered genuine guidance. We are devastated by the news of his passing, and our hearts are with his family during this difficult time."
Former DWTS host Tom Bergeron later opened up about Goodman's death, revealing that he found out the sad news from a text message. Speaking to ET, Bergeron shared, "I woke up this morning to a text from my sister, and it said, 'Sorry to hear about Len.'" He then added, "That's the first that I had heard or read about it, so then I went online and saw the numerous stories of his passing."
"That smile, that twinkle in the eye. Grouchiness that he would ratchet up for TV," Bergeron went on to share, reflecting on his late DWTS co-star and friend. "I would think of times when – 'cause his critiques were always 100 percent honest, but he would ratchet up when doing a commercial break. He'd call me over and go, 'That was good, wasn't it?' 'Oh yeah, that was good, yeah.' I think the touchy part was more show than his actual personality."