How DWTS Honored Len Goodman in 20th Anniversary Episode

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Dancing With the Stars is remembering a legend. 

During the celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary on November 11th, judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli honored the memory of Len Goodman, who was a judge on the ABC series from its beginning in 2004 until 2020.

Carrie recalled her first day working with Len and Bruno, describing it as a truly special and magical experience, as she shared in an interview.

Bruno also deeply loved Len, who sadly died from cancer in 2023 at the age of 78.

“When I first met Len,” the TV personality said during the episode, “he felt like a brother.”

The show also honored Len Goodman’s memory in other ways, including renaming the Mirrorball Trophy to the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

The show featured heartwarming clips of the ballroom dancer—who left his full-time judging role in 2020—interacting with his colleagues, including a touching moment where he embraced Carrie Ann in a hug.

Oh my gosh, Derek just said the sweetest thing! He’s known Len forever – since he was fifteen! And to think he got to sit in Len’s chair on the panel… he said it’ll always be Len’s seat, which, honestly, it will be in my heart too! It’s just such an honor for him, and it’s so touching he feels that way about Len.

This isn’t the first time former contestants on Dancing With the Stars have acknowledged the significant influence Len Goodman had on the show.

You know, as someone who studies relationships, I’ve always been fascinated by friendships that truly last, especially in high-pressure industries. Last year, Carrie Ann shared something really special about her connection with a TV icon – they’ve managed to keep their friendship strong despite working together, which is incredibly rare and something I truly admire. It just goes to show that with the right people, you can keep personal connections separate from professional life.

Len and I often disagreed, mostly because we had very different perspectives, and that’s what made our judging dynamic so interesting,” she shared with People magazine in 2024. “But what viewers didn’t see was that after every disagreement, we’d always make up with a friendly gesture – a pat on the back, a laugh, or a smile.

We had a really strong bond and always supported each other, even when we didn’t completely agree.

To learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of Dancing With the Stars, keep reading. 

In 2019, Variety reported that contestants on Dancing With the Stars initially earn $125,000 for rehearsals and the first two weeks of the show, with earnings increasing each week they continue. Sources indicated a potential maximum payout of $295,000.

However, Bobby Bones, who won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018, claimed he earned significantly more.

On Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast in September 2025, Bones revealed the pay structure: no money for the first episode, $10,000 for the second, and increasing amounts – roughly $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000 per episode – if a contestant lasts. He stated he ultimately made around $400,000 from the show, in addition to a base salary of about $110,000.

ABC has not officially confirmed these figures.

Details about how much the professional dancers earn aren’t widely available. However, like the celebrity contestants, it appears they make more money the further they progress in the competition.

Even if a pro dancer is eliminated early on, they still receive payment.

“You’re guaranteed a salary for a certain number of weeks,” Jenna Johnson explained on the June 2025 episode of the The Morning After podcast hosted by Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester. “But contracts vary, so I can’t speak for everyone.”

It seems professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars don’t earn extra money for winning the show, even though they receive the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. However, there’s still a financial benefit to reaching the finale. According to pro dancer Cheryl Johnson, who has won with both Adam Rippon and Joey Graziadei, making it to the end means getting paid for the entire season, plus a bonus. Winning doesn’t come with a large cash prize to share with a celebrity partner—it’s more about the trophy and the experience.

That doesn’t seem to be what happened. Dancer Lindsay Arnold shared on the 2022 podcast Trading Secrets that her pay was reduced by more than half when she moved from being a professional dancer to a troupe member.

Professional dancers have very little say in who they’re paired with on shows like Dancing With the Stars. According to Lindsay, it’s often simply, “Here’s your partner, make it work.” Jenna explained that the pairings are usually kept secret until the last minute to capture a genuine reaction. The show wants to avoid leaks and keep the cast a surprise until the dancers meet their partners. Former showrunner Rob Wade revealed that the matching process considers height, body type, personality, and compatibility. The goal is to avoid pairing people who won’t get along, as the experience is too intense for everyone involved. They’ve learned from past mistakes where incompatible pairings created a miserable experience for the celebrity, the show, and the viewers.

Oh my gosh, you guys have no idea how much work goes into this! I was listening to Rylee Arnold on the Lightweights Podcast With Joe Vulpis and she was saying they rehearse for four hours every single day! Like, either 9 to 1, 1 to 5, or 5 to 9 – it’s insane! And it doesn’t even stop there! After rehearsals, she’s still meeting with producers, working on the dances, or watching videos to improve. She literally said her whole life revolves around it, but she loves it, and it makes her so happy! It’s seriously a no-days-off situation. They perform on Tuesdays, then it’s straight back to rehearsals Wednesday through Sunday. Then Monday is all about camera blocking, and then it’s showtime again on Tuesday! It’s just…constant, but she’s so dedicated, it’s amazing!

Emma Slater and Britt Stewart shared in an Instagram video in September 2025 that they were mostly on board, but it involved working with the show’s producers.

If you think the quickstep dance is fast-paced, you should see how quickly the costume department works! Costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner explained to TV Insider that they collaborate with set, lighting, and dance teams to create a unique story for each dancer’s outfit. Then, they have only five days – often just half a day per costume, before adding rhinestones – to create everything. The department employs around 20 people, plus an external tailor shop, making it a large operation.

Steven Norman Lee, another costume designer, revealed that dancers often don’t even try on their costumes until just hours before the show. While they might occasionally reuse pants for male dancers, most costumes are made from scratch each week.

Gschwendtner added that while they do reuse items for group performances or promotional shoots, they avoid reusing anything for the actual competition. The goal is to keep the looks fresh and new each week to maintain audience interest.

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2025-11-12 06:47