‘Dancing With The Stars’ Judge Len Goodman Marries Longtime Girlfriend

Len Goodman, the Dancing with the Stars judge, married his longtime girlfriend Sue Barrett yesterday in a London ceremony that was apparently a total surprise to their about 30 invited guests.

The attendees thought they were going to a Sunday lunch at a private club until the British equivalent of a justice of the peace showed up and Goodman busted out the ring.

The only person who knew Goodman was getting hitched was his mother, 96, London’s Daily Mirror reports:

“I wanted it to be a low-key affair, so we didn’t tell anyone except my mum, as I didn’t want her having a heart attack with the surprise.”

Goodman said this about his girlfriend of 10 years, a 47-year-old dance instructor, according to the Daily Mail:

” ‘I’ve been going out with my lovely Sue for ages and I decided it was time to pop the question.

” ‘She’s gorgeous and makes me very happy — though she likes to stay out of the limelight. It was a complete surprise to my friends and family today and we’ve had a fabulous time.’ “

After lunch, the couple took to the floor “for a spot of dance-teacher dancing,” Goodman added.

Goodman, 68, a former professional dancer, is the head judge on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and one of three judges on the American spin-off, Dancing with the Stars, since 2004 and 2005, respectively. Goodman owns a ballroom dancing studio in his hometown of Dartford, Kent, UK, where he lives.

The Wet Paint website describes Goodman as a “sometimes-affable-and-occasionally-cranky” television dancing judge.

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