Len Goodman: "I left Strictly Come Dancing at the right time"

Len's final Strictly appearance was the 2017 Christmas special, before he made the decision to quit and was eventually replaced by Shirley Ballas.

"I do think it was the right time for me to leave because I’d done the show for 12 years and I couldn’t think of what else to say about the Viennese Waltz!" he admits. "I suppose I could have carried on until people wanted rid of me, but I was still quite popular, so that was good. I think Shirley has done a wonderful job, she stayed true to herself and didn’t try to be like me. The show is still great and I think it’s good that there are two men and two women on the panel."

After Strictly, Len presented his own game show, Partners in Rhyme, but hasn't done much on TV since. "I don't want to retire but I’m in a very nice position that if nice things come along I do them. If not then it’s fine," he says.

"I've been spending a lot of time in the garden during lockdown, we’ve grown a few vegetables and there’s something lovely about watching a lettuce grow and then having it in a salad. Maybe I could take over from Monty Don or Alan Titchmarsh on their gardening shows!"

Len was speaking to us while promoting a campaign for Smart Energy GB, aiming to help older people worried about the cost of energy bills during lockdown. Anybody looking for advice or support can click here.

As part of the campaign he's picked up some handy tips for saving energy. "I jumped at the chance to do this - I'm passionate about older people because I am one myself!" says Len. "I've learned some terrific things - I never realised if you leave a plug in a socket it’s on standby, so unplug it. I used to charge my phone when I went to bed and unplug it in the morning, but it only really needs a couple of hours. And only boil the amount of water you need for your cup of coffee!"

Strictly Come Dancing is due to return to BBC One in September. To find out what else is on in the mean time, check out our TV Guide.