Strictly Come Dancing's Len Goodman charms older women onto dance floor

With a twinkle in his eye, Len Goodman - known as head judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing - has lately been turning his attention to eager dancers aged 70+ in a bid to bewitch and inspire pensioners to dance.

The 74-year-old may have resigned from Strictly Come Dancing after 12 years but the TV showman is testament to the show's catchphrase “Keep Dancin” and is now teaching older women a thing or two on the dance floor.

The professional ballroom dancer and coach popped into Age UK Lewisham & Southwark’s dance class where he charmed a number of women with his nimble moves, following the famous Londoner's appointment as ambassador for Age UK.

In his new job, Len Goodman said: "I had a great time chatting with the dance class and enjoyed getting to see how much of an impact dancing can have.

“There are so many Age UK classes and clubs out there which people can join to help them get out and about and keep active. Some of the stories I heard on my visit were incredibly moving and it’s vital that this kind of work continues.”

The dance coach was more than happy to give the charity 'a 10 from Len’ stating: “The work Age UK does is so important to so many older people and I am honoured to be a part of that."

The charity is keen for older people to take part in physical activities such as dance to boost their health.

Age UK’s Wellbeing in Later Life Index shows one in ten of the over 65s in the UK are regularly dancing and attending dance classes.

In addition to the physical benefits, the Index found participating in ‘creative activities’ including dancing, was the single most effective thing any older person could do to improve their sense of wellbeing.

The charity’s research reveals 1.2 million older people in England are chronically lonely but the power of dance helps tackle loneliness amongst older people.

Age UK Lewisham & Southwark’s dance classes are one of many services offered by the charity to older people across the UK such as coffee mornings, IT classes, face-to-face and telephone befriending.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “It’s never too late to be more active, and seeing Len at a local Age UK dance class will hopefully inspire lots of people to try and keep active as they get older - he has a huge following and we can’t wait to see his many fans get behind the work he does for Age UK.”