Was Len Goodman Fired? More ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 29 Changes

Another big change has come to “Dancing With the Stars” ahead of Season 29, with the show’s head judge officially not coming back and being replaced by another familiar face to fans of the ABC reality competition series.

In an appearance on “Good Morning America” Tuesday, Derek Hough, a former pro dancer on the show who holds the record for the most Mirrorball Trophy wins, confirmed rumors that he was returning to Season 29 of the show in a judging capacity, with Entertainment Tonight reporting he was replacing head judge Len Goodman. However, unlike the other changes to the show which saw the ouster of longtime hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, this one isn’t because of a creative shift on the show, but due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Goodman, who is based in the United Kingdom and also serves as a judge on “Strictly Come Dancing,” is unable to travel back to the United States due to restrictions put into place because of COVID-19—something he warned earlier in the summer could be a problem for him when the time came for a new season of the show. With him unable to come into the studio, Hough has stepped in to take over the role, marking his first time as a judge with the show that helped skyrocket him to fame.

However, ET notes that while Len is taking a season off, he will still serve a role on the show by sharing his expertise remotely, suggesting that there is no intention of removing him on a more permanent basis. This is also not the first time he has sat out a season, previously taking off from the show in Season 21, where he was replaced by Derek’s sister, Julianne Hough.

Fellow judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli are also set to return, and while the cast of pros also features the returns of several familiar faces, including Sharna Burgess, Artem Chigvintsev and Britt Stewart, who were all sidelined in Season 28, there are several other faces that won’t be coming back.

As previously stated, Bergeron and Andrews were let go from the show for the new season, an announcement that shocked fans of the show when it was revealed in July. It was quickly announced just days later that they were being replaced by Tyra Banks, who would be the show’s first solo host and was also taking on a role as an Executive Producer.

In addition, two other fan-favorite pro dancers are sitting the season out as well, due to pregnancy announcements. Lindsay Arnold, who won Season 25 with Jordan Fisher, announced in May that she and her husband, Samuel Cusick, were expecting their first child together, and their daughter is due in November. Witney Carson announced she was due to welcome her own first child with her husband, Carson McAllister, in July, stating that their baby was set to arrive in January 2021. They later revealed that they were expecting a boy.

The new season, with all of its changes, begins Monday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.