Dancing with the Stars: Meet the Judges

Len Goodman. Carrie Ann Inaba. Bruno Tonioli. If you're a fan of the hit reality TV show Dancing with the Stars, they're three very familiar names. Len, Carrie Ann and Bruno make up the DWTS judges' panel and offer up commentary that ranges from glowing praise to stinging critique each and every week. But how much do you really know about the Dancing with the Stars judges? I'm betting not much! Here's the skinny.

Dancing with the Stars Head Judge Len Goodman

Often referred to as Mr. Crankypants by his DWTS judging co-horts, Len Goodman was born in April of 1944 and hails from London, England. He's been a dancer since 1963, winning numerous awards and championship titles along the way. He's been married three times, and has one son, a product of his second relationship. He owns a dance studio in his hometown of Kent, and is a big fan of English football, especially the West Ham United Club. In addition to his job as Head Judge on Dancing with the Stars, Len is also a judge on the British version of the show, which is entitled Strictly Come Dancing. He revealed in June of 2009 that he'd been diagnosed with and sought treatment for prostate cancer, but it didn't stop him from fulfilling his Dancing with the Stars judging duties.

Len Goodman is perhaps the most technically exacting of the three Dancing with the Stars judges, and is the one most likely to call a celebrity/professional pair to task for straying from the roots of a particular style of dance. He demands just the right amount of flair and impeccable form, and is often viewed as difficult to please. Under the tough exterior, however, Len can be wickedly funny. During the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars, he promised to "show his bum in the supermarket" if then-celebrity contestant Cristian de la Fuente found himself up for elimination during the following night's elimination show. Fortunately for shoppers, de la Fuente evaded the DWTS bottom two that week, but the memory of Len's remark lives on in Dancing with the Stars infamy.

Dancing with the Stars Judge Carrie Ann Inaba

Carrie Ann Inaba was born in 1968 in Honolulu, Hawai'i. She began her entertainment career in 1986 while living in Japan not as a dancer, but as a singer. She produced three singles while there. Dancing moved to the forefront of Carrie Ann's life when she moved back to the United States and appeared as a Fly Girl on the popular TV show In Living Color. She went on to appear in several movies and television shows, including Showgirls and The View, and has done choreography for numerous programs, including American Idol and the Miss America Pageant.

Since Carrie Ann Inaba doesn't have a ballroom dance background, some may find it peculiar that she's a Dancing with the Stars judge. Carrie Ann tends to be the judge most likely to be moved to tears by emotional performances, so she certainly appreciates the feelings that dance can evoke. She is, however, the official DWTS Lift Police, so she also pays close attention to detail. (Or at least to toes as they illegally leave the ballroom floor.)

Dancing with the Stars Judge Bruno Tonioli

Bruno Tonioli, the spirited-to-hyperactive 53-year old DWTS judge, hails from Ferrara, Italy. He enjoyed Hollywood musicals as a child, and his passion for dance eventually led him to Paris and then on to London. Bruno has worked with many musical acts over the course of his nearly 30 year long career, doing choreography for acts including Duran Duran, The Rolling Stones and Tina Turner, among others. He also has experience in movies and television, and has made the talk show rounds, appearing on eight popular programs in the US. In addition to his gig as a Dancing with the Stars judges, Bruno Tonioli also serves as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the British version of the show, along with Len Goodman.

If Len is the iceman, Bruno Tonioli is the fire of the Dancing with the Stars judges panel. He's a lightning fast thinker and utters some of the funniest quips I've ever heard on television. Just this DWTS season, he's already called snowboarder Louis Vito a "little dancing Hobbit". At the conclusion of former contestant Billy Ray Cyrus' first dance of the fourth DWTS season, Bruno said the singer looked "like a crazy bear lost in a swamp". I always wait for Bruno's commentary with baited breath, certain that something ingenious will escape his lips and have me in stitches within seconds. Despite his often bitingly hilarious remarks, he still seems to value style and performance over minute technical details, unlike Carrie Ann "Lift Police" Inaba and Len "Style Stickler" Goodman.

So there you have it: The skinny on the three Dancing with the Stars judges, Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Now that you know a little more about each of them, be sure to tune into DWTS season 9 on Monday nights at 8 PM Eastern/Pacific to see them in action. After all: You never know what will come out of Bruno's mouth!

Sources:

Personal DWTS Viewing Experience

About Len Goodman, Fancast

Len Goodman, Wikipedia

Carrie Ann Inaba on Blogspot, Blogspot

Carrie Ann Inaba, Wikipedia

Strictly Come Dancing - The Judges, Strictly Come Dancing