No one knows if or how “Dancing with the Stars” will return in the fall, but if it does, we could be missing an ol’ face. Because of travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, head judge Len Goodman is not anticipating a trip across the pond this year.
“I like going over there because it’s 10 weeks of being in the sun and I only work one day a week,” the Brit told “The Sun.” “But of course there’s this lockdown thing at the moment with only Americans being able to fly in to America or if you’ve got a green card. I haven’t got either of those, so who knows.”
Of course, Goodman could judge virtually — especially if the entire season is virtual, as suggested by Cheryl Burke — but it’s obviously not ideal to assess form and steps and other dance details over a WiFi connection (though, what is ideal these days?).
SEE Everything we know about ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 29 (so far)
ABC officially renewed “Dancing” for a 29th season last month, and while the hope is for it to air in the fall as usual, the logistics of its return in the middle of a pandemic is “still being discussed,” Tom Bergeron told a fan on Instagram recently.
An OG judge since “Dancing’s” premiere in 2005, Goodman has missed the show before: He sat out Season 21 entirely, and was absent for much of Season 19 and Season 23, during which former pro Julianne Hough joined the judging panel (she left after Season 24). The 76-year-old juggled judging duties on “Dancing” and the U.K. original “Strictly Come Dancing” for 11 years until he departed the latter in 2016.
“It might all come good, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” Goodman said.
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