In fact, the time was so special that Len left Derek sweet parting gift ahead of his final DWTS episode.
“There was this giant picture of Len, framed, beautiful gold frame,” he recalled. “It had this handwritten message from him and it was so beautiful but also [had], like, inappropriate humor. And it was signed by him…I was just so touched and moved by that, just thinking about how our lives are so entwined.”
Derek plans to pay tribute to his late friend and colleague on his upcoming Symphony of Dance tour. “There will definitely be some moments of honoring him and tipping the hat to him, without a doubt, on tour,” he said, ”I think not only just for us but I think, honestly, for the audience.”
And he knows the people coming to the shows, which begin this fall, feel the same way about Len.
“I think a lot of the audience that will come to the show, they’re also, in a way, mourning this guy that they watched for 20 years on TV,” Derek added. “He’s Len Goodman. He’s the head judge. He’s the guy that we all love.”