Len Goodman's Dancing with the Stars departure is now definite.
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"Len will not be returning as a judge this season on Dancing with the Stars due to his schedule as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing in the U.K. and the birth of his new grandson," Wade told People.
"He still might be involved in the season at some capacity, but we will have to wait and see. We are planning on having great guest judges for some shows to join [Bruno Tonioli], [Carrie Ann Inaba] and [Julianne Hough], and I'm sure we will see Len in the ballroom again soon."
Goodman's participation on Dancing with the Stars' 21st season judging panel has been uncertain since late last year.
Goodman, who also judges Strictly Come Dancing in the U.K., had originally announced in December that he would be leaving Dancing with the Stars after last spring's 20th season.
"I've got my wife, I've got my son, my mother is still alive and she's in hospital -- I've had virtually no time to go and visit her," Goodman told People at the time.
"So, I just need a bit of time off to get on with a normal life. And it was either Strictly went or the American one went or the tour went... I'm doing the spring one when I go out there... and that's going to be my last one. Dancing with the Stars, next year is their 10th year... so I think that's a nice place to stop."
However, a month later, Wade said Goodman -- who has served as a Dancing with the Stars judge since it debuted on ABC in 2005 -- may not be leaving the show after all.
"Len finished last season, did an interview afterwards and I think genuinely he's found it tough. That's why we only had him on for half the season last season. The travel, he's getting on a bit, and his mother, who's 97, is quite sick and needs help. He felt bad about being away," Wade told E! News.
"He was tired and he felt bad about being away, he was exhausted...I had a lot of conversations before the last season about it...When he had the interview, he was like, 'Season 20 is a good place to end,' because I think what Len felt was, since he's such a good guy, he felt like if he went away for a season, we wouldn't [want] him back."
"The truth is there is still a chance that Len will be around for 21, either as a part of, a small part, a big part or a whole part of the season," Wade continued. "I don't know how we'd use him, but he's very open to it. I spoke to Len two days ago. And then for Season 22, the spring, he's very up for coming back. And if we can come to an agreement, he absolutely wants to come back. "
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