Strictly star Len Goodman, who sadly died over the weekend, was previously diagnosed with cancer twice.
Len, who is reported to have died from bone cancer, according to the Daily Mail, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 and skin cancer in 2020.
The TV favourite, who would’ve turned 79 this week (April 25), had surgery for prostate cancer at a London hospital. Afterwards, he joked that he didn’t want to be thought of as a “cancer-riddled, bed-ridden old so-and so”.
Len had a small facial melanoma removed in August 2020, and campaigned for greater awareness of skin cancer, particular among golfers, following his diagnosis.
Strictly legend Len Goodman underwent surgery for cancer twice
Len was diagnosed with prostate cancer just months before filming for Dancing With The Stars was due to begin. He decided to delay surgery to remove the tumour to take part in the series. Len explained: “I could have said sorry and not done the show, but the doctors felt I wasn’t riddled with it and it wasn’t so far advanced that it was a life-or-death scenario.
The doctors felt I wasn’t riddled with it and it wasn’t so far advanced that it was a life-or-death scenario.
“It takes a few weeks to get everything set up for the operation anyway, so I went ahead and did the show. I had the surgery done as soon as I got back from America.” Len then added: “People generally think bloody hell. With all the hoo-ha about Strictly coming up, I thought, just my luck, they won’t want that old fart on it, the cancer-riddled, bed-ridden old so-and so.”
After the surgery, Len revealed he didn’t need any further treatment and everything was “gorgeously good”.
‘Early warning’
Then, in 2020, Len was pictured in a baseball cap and a small bandage on his face. The picture, which was posted to Facebook by the Melanoma Fund, explained the star had had a small surgery to remove skin cancer.
He said: “I was playing golf and a bloke said to me: ‘Oh, you’ve got a little mole on your forehead.’ He told me to get it checked. I went and they took it out and it’s gone. It was a tiny little thing on my forehead. Probably because I play a lot of golf and I don’t wear a hat, which I do now.
“It was good that it was what it was because it was like a little early warning. I would have probably carried on in my own sweet way and it could have become something far worse!”
Death of Len Goodman
Earlier today (April 24), a spokesperson for Len confirmed he died “peacefully” over the weekend surrounded by his family.
The rep said: “I can confirm he died peacefully over the weekend surrounded by his family.”
It has been widely reported that Len had been diagnosed with bone cancer.
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