Len Goodman has admitted that he is worried about the future of Strictly Come Dancing, after the BBC decided to sack Arlene Phillips.

Len is worried that some of the show’s older audience would be offended by the producers attempt to bring some youth and glamour to the show.

he told The Stage: “I hope the BBC is not trying to introduce a younger audience.

“I’d imagine the show attracts an older audience to what you get on The X Factor. I hope it does not affect the fan base.”

Len added: “I am sad Arlene is no longer one of the judges because we got to know each other.

“We all got on, and knew what to expect, so it sort of changes the whole dynamic of the panel, which is a bit scary.

“I do feel sorry for her, because we are friends. But who knows, maybe Alesha will be fantastic and bring a different dynamic to the judging panel?”

Len Goodman has revealed that the judges on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing will more than likely take a hefty pay cut.

Len assured viewers that he doesn’t mind working for less money but I bet Arlene Phillips is glad that she got out when she did.

“I think we’ll probably be asked to take a pay cut which I understand, we are in the middle of a recession,” Goodman told the BBC.

“The job’s brilliant. It’s not exactly working on the docks – which I did for 10 years – is it?

“It’s a joy so anything I get I always feel a bit of a fraud so I don’t mind if they knock off a couple of bob.”

He added: “It’s not arduous. I’m not digging ditches am I?

“I’m only sitting their saying, ‘cock your leg up and keep your head up higher’.”

A BBC spokesman said: “We never discuss individual contracts.

“However, we have been clear that, as part of wider efficiency savings, we have a firm commitment to reduce the total amount we spend on top talent in the coming years.”

Len Goodman – star judge on Strictly Come Dancing – has revealed to the Daily Mail that he’s recently undergone surgery after a malignant tumour was found in his prostate gland. His cancer was first diagnosed in March this year but Len told the paper that he wanted to go ahead with filming ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in the US before he underwent treatment.

65 year old Len also chose not to tell any of his colleagues or friends about the op, which he had three weeks ago, but he told the paper that he now feels, “right as rain.”

Brave Len said, “I’ve had the surgery now. Everything’s gorgeously good. I’ll be back in September for sure.”

Speaking of his decision to delay the surgery, he said, “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.”

In the interview, Len also urged middle-aged men to ensure that they go to their GP for regular check-ups.

“Men, probably more than women, tend to ignore their health. As long as you get checked up every year, then medicine is such now that if you do get something, then hopefully they can catch it early and you have a good chance.

“I think that’s the most important thing – men of a certain age should have their check-up every year.”

Dancing With Stars host, Tom Bergeron is being hailed as a life saver after he stopped Len Goodman from choking on a cough sweet backstage on the US TV show.

A show insider told the Globe: “At first we thought he was having a heart attack. Len staggered in agony as he grabbed the back of a chair and had trouble standing as his breathing got worse and worse.

“Tom’s a real hero. If he hadn’t been there and reacted so fast, Len could have easily choked to death.”

Bergeron is is reported to have performed the Hiemlich Manoeuvre on Goodman.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Len Goodman has revealed that his 91 year old mum is very quick to tell him off if she feels he is being too nasty to the competitors on the BBC One TV show.

The head judge told the Radio Times:

“She once phoned me six times when I was critical of someone and said ‘How could you have been so nasty?’

“If she disagrees with me she tells me off as if I’m still her baby, even though I’m 64, which makes me laugh!” he said.

Len said that his 91-year-old mum gets particularly angry when he criticises John Sergeant.

Len Goodman has taken a break from judging on American TV show, Dancing With Stars as the constant commuting over the Atlantic is driving him to exhaustion

The 64-year-old dance expert flies to Los Angeles every Sunday morning with fellow Strictly Come Dancing judge, Bruno Tonioli to film Dancing With The Stars.

But the travel is tiring him so much that he is taking two weeks off and is being temporarily replaced by Michael “Lord of the Dance” Flatley.

Len Goodman, head judge on Strictly Come Dancing and the US version, Dancing with Stars has revealed that he may quit the British show as jet lag takes it toll.

Len and pal Bruno Tonioli currently fly back and forward between the two countries filming for both shows, and Len has revealed that he didn’t intend to do this years series in the UK but was talked into it by BBC bosses.

“The jet lag takes it toll,” he told News of the World. “I wasn’t going to do it this year – the flying backwards and forwards – but I got talked into it again. But this will probably be the last time. I’ll have to make the decision, if they ask me, whether to do the British show or American show.

“My heart wants to do the British show, but my head, the money, makes me want to do the American one.”

Strictly Come Dancing head judge, Len Goodman has compared filming the live BBC One show to having his prostate examined.

Len confessed: “There’s no real way of getting the fact out of your head that you’re going out there, it’s live and there’s ten million people watching.

“You can’t relax — it’s a bit like having your prostate examined!”

Len was speaking to contestant Lisa Snowdon on Capital Radio Breakfast show.

Strictly Come Dancing’s head judge, Len Goodman, has blasted his colleague, Craig Revel Horwood for being too nasty to the shows contestants.

The 64-year-old told The Sun: “I do argue with Craig the most. I get cross with him because he’s so mean.

“You have to temper critique with kindness — there’s always something good. He knows how I feel. That’s why I give him those horrible looks. We just come from different dancing backgrounds.”

To be honest I think if Craig had any sense he would take a leaf out of Len’s book. After all I don’t see any big American TV networks knocking at his door!

Strictly Come Dancing judge, Arlene Phillips, has branded the shows head judge, len Goodman, a sexist!

Arlene told The Mirror: “Last year Len was sometimes aggressive when he didn’t need to be and sometimes very sexist.

“I got irritated with it but I kept forgiving him. But not this year. I’m tired of forgiving.”

She acknowledged that Bruno Toniolo can also be moody, but she finds it easier to put up with his snappiness.

She said: “With Bruno, we go way back, so I can live with him — I’ve been through all his moods.”

She added: “I’d hate to be doing all that commuting but they’ve chosen to do it and we all work hard. They should just get over it and behave.”