Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman revealed for the first time how he sprung his secret wedding on surprised guests.

The 69-year-old, who lives in Greenhithe, heads the Goodman Dance Centre in Market Street, Dartford – one of the Kent’s longest running and successful dance schools. He tied the knot with Sue Barrett, who manages the centre, last year.

Speaking on his BBC Radio 2 show on Sunday afternoon, the dancing legend revealed how he shocked friends and family when he asked them out to lunch but ended up samba-ing up the aisle and getting married.

He told listeners: “Now I haven’t ever spoken much about my wedding. I told no one that it was a wedding. I just invited some of my dearest friends to come to a little party – a luncheon.

"I said we’re having a nice lunch over Christmas, if you’d like to come along just let me know and I had 30 people there. No one knew I was going to get married, only my mum because I thought if I don’t tell her she’ll probably have a heart attack and die.

“So in we went, we had a nice drink and then I said we’re going to just go upstairs for our lunch, but what they didn’t know that was where the marriage ceremony was going to take place.”

With Gilbert O’Sullivan’s, Matrimony, playing in the background, Len said: “They sat down and suddenly this track came on and I danced up the aisle, me and old Sue samba-ing up the aisle.”

The popular personality then played the song to his listeners.