For audiences tuning into BBC’s megahit Strictly Come Dancing, they would be right in assuming that its stars should be earning a significant fortune.
Whether it be the vigorous hours of training, or being an on-screen fixture for weeks on end, the show’s expert dancers have actually helped make the series a fascinating watch throughout the fall months.
However, while it has actually been presumed that Strictly specialists need to make a quite penny, and years of success, through their time on the program, for the majority of it’s an entirely different story.
Pros who have actually bid goodbye to the Strictly dancefloor in recent years have shared their battles with stacking financial obligations and money issues, with some even dealing with the prospect of losing their homes.
Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff become the current stars to be struck by the notorious ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year love ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the serious monetary troubles they had just recently experienced are believed to have been behind their split.
MailOnline peels back the shine behind Strictly stars’ paychecks to expose the fact about how for numerous, the cash stops as quickly as the ballroom lights go dark …
Kristina Rihanoff
How Strictly’s popular dancers have actually wound up in debt – as Kristina Rihanoff’s monetary troubles are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (pictured on the program in 2013)
Kristina previously appeared on Strictly as a professional from 2008 to 2015, making headlines when she began a romance with her celeb partner Ben Cohen.
However, in 2015, the couple shared fears that they might lose their home after being struck by money concerns, with Ben laying bare their financial troubles in court.
The level of the couple’s struggles were laid bare in uncommon situations – during a court look last September when Kristina, 47, was caught driving without insurance.
Giving proof during the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, confessed he had mishandled the handling of their automobile insurance coverage and informed how he was ‘fighting to conserve his relationship and home’.
A buddy of the couple informed the Mail he said: ‘The previous 6 months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have picked to move forward as different individuals.
‘Those near to them who understand them as a couple had actually hoped they would be able to work things out however for now it’s over and it appears like there’s no going back.’
The couple were entrusted debilitating debts after they tilled every penny they had into a yoga studio which plunged into crisis throughout the Covid pandemic.
In a tortuously frank admission Ben informed the court: ‘I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything – to lose my cars and trucks and my home and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.’
In 2015 the couple shared worries that they might lose their home after being hit by money issues, with Ben laying bare their monetary issues in court (visualized in 2021)
When questioned about the strains on his and Kristina’s relationship, he said: ‘We’re still living together. We remain in it economically.
‘We stay in business together so the issue is that we opened the service before Covid and we got the worst seriousness of it and in all truthfully this is just another problem for me to handle.
‘I have actually got credit cards that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have actually got an organization debt since of Covid. It’s just another problem.’
The company was noted to be compulsorily struck off on December 27, 2022, however the action was suspended 9 days later on and stopped on April 28, 2023.
Records likewise reveal that a food services company called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 per cent owned by Soo Yoga Group Ltd was successfully ₤ 6,633 in the red, taking into consideration future liabilities, in its last accounts for the period ending on July 31, 2020.
The business’s represent the year ending in July 2021 have actually still not been submitted and are now nearly 29 months overdue.
Another business called Soo Purple Mountain Ltd which is also owned by the Soo Yoga Group, was set up in December 2021 and dissolved by a voluntary strike off in February this year without ever filing accounts.
A fourth business called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by 3 other people was also incorporated and voluntarily struck off on the exact same dates.
A fifth business called Yoga Wellbeing which is one hundred percent owned by Rihanoff was ₤ 5,041 at a loss, considering future liabilities, at the end of July 2020. Its accounts are likewise almost 29 months overdue, according to Companies House records.
AJ Pritchard
AJ first rose to popularity as an entrant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program simply months before the Covid pandemic (imagined with Saffron Barker in 2019)
But AJ has since clarify the money concerns some Strictly stars can face, and shared that he was plunged into financial obligation when his dance tour was cancelled in 2020
AJ first rose to fame as a participant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program simply months before the Covid pandemic.
While the star had actually formerly wished to kickstart a new era of dance success by departing the show, the pandemic required him to cancel his organized dance trip, plunging himself and brother Curtis into financial obligation.
Speaking with MailOnline, AJ shed light on the cash problems some Strictly stars can face after leaving the show.
He stated: ‘We had a business where we were running our own trip and the tour was cut short. We paid all of our dancers because, personally, I seemed like that was the right thing to do. We ended up with a VAT bill which came out of our own pocket.
‘We didn’t get paid, myself or Curtis, however we paid all of our dancers. It’s a hard decision to be made, but that’s what it is when you are running your own company.
‘They absolutely did appreciate it. I possibly didn’t appreciate the financial obligation that I was left in but, hi, it’s a choice that was made.’
AJ stated it is hard when a great deal of his buddies believe he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, however, he described that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he earns is nowhere near that.
The dancer stated: ‘I believe a lot of people expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and immediately be a millionaire. Once you have actually paid your tax and your VAT, and if you’re a minimal business, that’s not even close.
‘I think openness is a favorable thing in this day and age, but many people do not truly desire to talk about their finances.
‘And I believe people are fascinated by money. People enjoy to see numbers and love to see nice things, and a great deal of times you need to live within your own methods.’
After leaving shows such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were thrown into a number of huge money offers and AJ says some individuals have no idea how to manage that kind of amount of money.
Former I’m A Celebrity star AJ revealed he and Curtis ‘desire to make a difference’ and have actually set up ‘utilizing our own cash’ a financial investment company called FINT to assist to ‘educate’ individuals.
AJ ended up being extremely open about how in some cases the TV reservations and photoshoots can unexpectedly stop and stars need to find out how to ‘adapt’ their career.
AJ said it is hard when a lot of his friends believe he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, as after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he earns is nowhere near that
He continued: ‘It’s really hard I believe in our industry, the and a great deal of other markets right now due to the fact that a lot of individuals are being laid off. It does use your psychological health if you do not have that next job.
‘Myself and Curtis have invested cash, from my extremely first salary on Strictly I’ve always had actually that cash invested into different portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t work in 6 months time, I do have money there that I can make use of if I need it.
‘And at the end of the day, there are always tasks out there. It’s just in some cases having to change what it is you believe you are going to do and adapt a little bit. Adapting is difficult but you do need to adjust sometimes.
‘It is very important that individuals go into these huge shows that they’re delighting in however they have a profession behind them like myself and Curt. We’re both professional dancers, we can go all over the world and teach.’
Every day, people are facing the cost of living crisis and AJ confessed he is no various and is frequently snapped back into the ‘real world’ as he’s discovered the remarkable increase in daily items.
He explained: ‘Every single day I’m reminded truth. I brought up at the petrol pump today and the diesel was 10p more pricey due to choices that have been made much greater up than my income. That’s the real life.
‘I resembled, ‘What 10p more expensive from yesterday to today’, like that’s crazy. I think people forget, the expense of living and inflation’s gone up.
‘Even when inflation boils down, it doesn’t imply that it returns to what it was. Life is going to be difficult for a great deal of individuals this year and I don’t believe it’s going to get any easier.’
Robin Windsor
Despite pulling in an excellent ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically passed away with just ₤ 879 in his company’s company account
Despite pulling in a remarkable ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor tragically died with just ₤ 879 in his company’s business account.
The dancer was found dead in a London hotel in February in 2015, and in the wake of his passing it was revealed his firm had actually not traded for a long time and according to Companies House Records was dealing with an ‘active proposal’ to be struck off.
The business Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed nearly ₤ 5,000 the last time it filed accounts, but owed financial institutions ₤ 15,000, indicating it was ₤ 8,350 in the red.
At the height of his star in 2015 and 2016 he held more than ₤ 23,000 in the business and advanced himself ₤ 35,000 from the business, which was repaid.
The company had actually transported profits from a ‘wide variety of contracts to provide performing arts services within the media industry’, documentation said.
In the months prior to his death, Robin had actually been working on a Fred Olsen Cruise – alongside fellow Strictly professional Gordana Grandosek Whiddon – and published images of himself when the boat docked in South Africa.
Robin previously informed how he was paid ₤ 100,000 a year throughout his time on Strictly which came to an end after the 12th series in 2014.
The dancer was found dead in a London hotel in February, and in the wake of his passing it was exposed his company had not traded for a long time (visualized on the show in 2013)
He likewise remembered one time he made ‘silly money’, informing This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were when paid ₤ 10,000 each to stay in a luxury resort in Mauritius for a week and dance the cha-cha-cha at an event. Our dance lasted 2 minutes.’
He remembered in September 2022 that the ‘best’ year of his financial life was 2010, ‘my first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.
He stated: ‘Suddenly, I was generating income I had only dreamt about. I most likely made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not simply from Strictly however from work off the back of the show such as the trip and private performances.
‘When you’re on prime-time TV, everybody wants a little piece of you.’
Discussing his Strictly exit, Robin said he ended up being so ‘bitter’ about not being enabled to return that he could not bear to watch it, and he went into a ‘constant decline’ after leaving the show.
Graziano Di Prima
Graziano was drastically sacked by bosses last year following claims of gross misconduct towards his former celebrity partner Zara McDermott
Following his departure from the program, Graziano attempted to cash on his appearances on the program, with customised video messages on Cameo
Graziano was when considered a favourite amongst Strictly fans, but in 2015 he was dramatically sacked by employers following claims of gross misconduct towards his previous celebrity partner Zara McDermott.
The dancer later confirmed and regretted his actions versus Zara.
Addressing his exit from the show, a ‘devastated’ Di Prima wrote on Instagram: ‘I deeply are sorry for the occasions that caused my departure from Strictly.
Strictly Come Dancing rich list: The professional dancers waltzing all the way to the bank after making MILLIONS thanks to the show
‘My extreme enthusiasm and determination to win may have impacted my training regime.
‘While respecting the BBC HR procedure, I acknowledge it’s only right for the sake of the program that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn’t allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the scenario.
‘There’s more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and good friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing however success in the future.’
Following his departure from the program, Graziano tried to cash on his looks on the program, with customised video messages on Cameo.
The dancer charged $100 (₤ 78) for a video message, and continued to refer to himself as a ‘expert dancer on Strictly’ on his profile.
And the stars who have capitalized their Strictly success …
Oti Mabuse
For numerous fans, Oti is thought about one of Strictly’s most effective exports, with the dancer crowned series champ for 2 years in a row, in 2019 and 2020
Ever since, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also earned a reported ₤ 200,000 cost for her stint on I’m A Celeb Get Me Out Of Here! last year
For lots of fans, Oti is thought about among Strictly’s most successful exports, with the dancer crowned series champ for two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020.
The dancer was reported to be on a ₤ 410,000 salary before she left the show in 2022, and considering that her exit has accumulated a substantial fortune with a string of successful TV gigs.
Since then, she has appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was also a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and BBC’s The Greatest Dancer, adding to a rumoured fortune of more than ₤ 1.4 million.
Before signing up with the Strictly lineup, Oti also worked as a professional dancer on Strictly’s German equivalent, Let’s Dance.
Oti is listed as a director of Pure Mabuse Limited, which she set up with her spouse Marius Iepure, which was set up in February 2017, and has noted properties of ₤ 510,953, according to its most current accounts.
In 2022, Oti likewise signed a big-money deal to work together with Bravissimo on a ‘self-confidence improving’ underclothing variety, and she and other half Marius also share a ₤ 590,000 London mansion.
Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of properties in 4 personal business, which they co-own. consisting of the home company, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in properties as of in 2015.
And Oti has actually only included to her fortune in recent months by appearing on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! where she was reportedly paid a ₤ 200,000 cost.
Kevin Clifton
Kevin Clifton was crowned Strictly champion in 2018 with Stacey Dooley, and after leaving the show in 2020, has cashed in with a string of stage roles
However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t constantly been easy, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to sleep in his cars and truck while trying to start his performing career
Since leaving Strictly in 2020, Kevin Clifton has required to the stage, performing in Strictly Ballroom, Rock of Ages and War of the Worlds.
His company Supreme Dance declared ₤ 104,993 in its most current possessions with ₤ 42,234 staying after expenses.
However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t always been simple, revealing in 2019 that he utilized to oversleep his automobile while trying to start his performing career, while managing it with a workplace job.
Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he stated: ‘If there’s nobody there, I’ll sleep in my vehicle and after that I can afford 2 of my dance lessons tomorrow.
‘I invested loads of time sleeping in my car – generally living out of my car – and having no work. It’s not all glamour. People think we live these easy, showbiz, attractive lives and it’s not like that.
‘There’s been times where I was just getting fired from job after task – typical office jobs, just trying to sustain my dancer profession.
‘I was generally looking in my wallet going, I’ve just been fired from another job. I have actually got four lessons tomorrow; I already can’t spend for two of them.
‘I’m going to need to blag it with the instructor and state,” Oh, there’s been a problem at the bank. I’m going to need to provide you the money on my next lesson.” James and Ola Jordan
Business: James and Ola Jordan have cashed in on their joint weight loss in current years, setting up a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 monthly to subscribe
James Jordan left Strictly in 2013 with his other half Ola doing the same 2 years lateer.
James has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, returned a few years later for the All Stars variation and won Dancing On Ice in 2019.
The couple have actually cashed in on their joint weight-loss over the last few years, establishing a physical fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 each month to subscribe.
The set sold their Kent mansion for ₤ 2.5 million previously this year and have actually since downsized to a home more ‘ideal’ for their child Ella.
Much of their income is funnelled through their company James and Ola Dance Academy which most recently had ₤ 774,023 in properties and ₤ 465,002 after expenses.
They make money by offering signed images for ₤ 9.50 while Ola uses dance lessons to fans at ₤ 300 a pop.
Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC