#78 Better Late Than Never, by Len Goodman (Ebury Press)

A bit of a bizarre addition to the canon of 100 books for the year, perhaps. However, The Wench was given Better Late Than Never, the autobiography by Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman as a joke by a friend, and given Goodman owns and runs a dance school opposite the library I regular visit, it seemed a fitting choice.

I was midway through – and struggling with – John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath at the time, and I fancied something a little easier on the brain. Goodman certainly obliges with a very readable account of his life, from East End boy to television star, and it’s a lot better than I expected. And while Goodman’s easy-going recollections and honesty are the main reasons for this, it would be churlish not to also credit ghost writer Richard Havers, who does a fine job.

Living and working near to a lot of the areas where Goodman grew up, the likes of Dartford, Welling and Blackfen, I found his early life the most interesting part of his autobiography. It’s not without humour, and there are some poignant stories which effectively convey a time and place. Goodman knows how to tell a self-deprecating tale, doesn’t hide from the poor decisions in his life or admitting the regrets he has, and comes across as a pretty decent bloke, much as he does on telly.

Unfortunately, the more the book focuses on dancing, the more I found myself switching off. Of course, you can hardly tell the story of Goodman’s life without examining the role dancing has had, but while the early days - his introduction to ballroom and Latin American and early competition success - ignite interest in the reader, the later focus on endless competitions provoked ennui.

Finally, we come to Strictly, and here Goodman wastes the rapport he has established with the reader. A couple of looks at the darker side of the BBC show apart – a moan about one of the professional dancers and a regret regarding some comments to Kelly Brook – Goodman’s previous frankness evaporates. You get the feeling he’s holding back, and even though that might not be a surprise as he continues to star on the primetime show, it still disappoints.

So, rating time:

#78 Better Late Than Never, by Len Goodman (Ebury Press) - 7/10

Next up: Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell (Penguin Group)

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