How Strictly’s Popular Dancers have actually Ended up In Debt
For audiences tuning into BBC’s megahit Strictly Come Dancing, they would be right in presuming that its stars need to be earning a significant fortune.
Whether it be the steadfast hours of training, or being an on-screen fixture for weeks on end, the program’s professional dancers have actually assisted make the series a fascinating watch throughout the autumn months.
However, while it has actually been presumed that Strictly specialists must earn a pretty cent, and years of success, through their time on the show, for most it’s a completely various story.
Pros who have actually bid farewell to the Strictly dancefloor in current years have actually shared their struggles with stacking financial obligations and cash woes, with some even facing the possibility of losing their homes.
Recently, Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff end up being the most current stars to be struck by the notorious ‘Strictly curse’ after their 12-year romance ended in heartbreak. MailOnline then revealed it was the severe monetary problems they had actually just recently experienced are thought to have lagged their split.
MailOnline peels back the shine behind Strictly stars’ incomes to expose the reality about how for many, the money stops as quickly as the ballroom lights go dark …
Kristina Rihanoff
How Strictly’s popular dancers have wound up in financial obligation – as Kristina Rihanoff’s financial troubles are blamed for split from Ben Cohen (pictured on the show in 2013)
Kristina previously appeared on Strictly as an expert from 2008 to 2015, making headings when she started a romance with her celeb partner Ben Cohen.
However, last year, the couple shared worries that they could lose their home after being struck by money troubles, with Ben laying bare their financial woes in court.
The degree of the couple’s battles were laid bare in unusual scenarios – during a court appearance last September when Kristina, 47, was caught driving without insurance.
Giving evidence throughout the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben, 46, confessed he had actually made a mess of the handling of their automobile insurance plan and told how he was ‘fighting to conserve his relationship and home’.
A buddy of the couple told the Mail he stated: ‘The past 6 months have actually been hell for them and it has actually torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have actually chosen to move forward as different individuals.
‘Those close to them who understand them as a couple had hoped they would have the ability to work things out however for now it’s over and it appears like there’s no going back.’
The couple were entrusted crippling debts after they ploughed 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 automobiles and my house and my relationship. I’m so overdrawn.’
Last year the couple shared worries that they might lose their home after being hit by cash problems, with Ben laying bare their monetary troubles in court (envisioned in 2021)
When questioned about the pressures on his and Kristina’s relationship, he stated: ‘We’re still cohabiting. We’re in it financially.
‘We’re in business together so the problem is that we opened business before Covid and we got the worst intensities of it and in all truthfully this is just another problem for me to deal with.
‘I’ve got charge card that are overdrawn. I’m overdrawn in both accounts. We have actually got a company debt because of Covid. It’s simply 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 discontinued on April 28, 2023.
Records likewise reveal that a food services company called Soo Greens Ltd which is 100 percent owned by Soo Yoga Group Ltd was effectively ₤ 6,633 at a loss, considering future liabilities, in its last represent the period ending on July 31, 2020.
The company’s represent the year ending in July 2021 have still not been filed and are now almost 29 months past due.
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 4th company called Soo Group Ltd which was half owned by Cohen and half owned by 3 other individuals was likewise incorporated and willingly struck off on the same dates.
A 5th business called Yoga Wellbeing which is 100 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 increased to popularity as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019, leaving the program simply months before the Covid pandemic (visualized with Saffron Barker in 2019)
But AJ has because clarify the cash concerns some Strictly stars can face, and shared that he was plunged into debt when his dance trip 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 formerly hoped to start a brand-new era of dance success by leaving the show, the pandemic required him to cancel his organized dance tour, plunging himself and brother Curtis into debt.
Talking to MailOnline, AJ clarified the cash concerns some Strictly stars can deal with after leaving the program.
He said: ‘We had a company where we were running our own tour and the tour was interrupted. We paid all of our dancers since, personally, I seemed like that was the right thing to do. We wound up with a barrel expense which came out of our own pocket.
‘We didn’t make money, myself or Curtis, but we paid all of our dancers. It’s a hard choice to be made, however that’s what it is when you are running your own business.
‘They absolutely did value it. I perhaps didn’t value the financial obligation that I was left in however, hello, it’s a decision that was made.’
AJ said it is hard when a lot of his good friends think he’s a ‘millionaire’ after starring on Strictly, however, he discussed that after they paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he makes is no place near that.
The dancer stated: ‘I think a lot of individuals expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and quickly be a millionaire. Once you’ve paid your tax and your VAT, and if you’re a restricted business, that’s not even close.
‘I think openness is a positive thing in this day and age, however many people don’t actually wish to talk about their finances.
‘And I think individuals are captivated by cash. People love to see numbers and enjoy to see good things, and a great deal of times you need to live within your own methods.’
After leaving programs such as Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ were thrown into a number of big cash deals and AJ states some individuals have no idea how to handle that sort of sum of money.
Former I’m A Celeb star AJ revealed he and Curtis ‘wish to make a difference’ and have actually established ‘utilizing our own cash’ a monetary investment firm called FINT to assist to ‘educate’ individuals.
AJ became extremely open about how often the TV bookings and photoshoots can unexpectedly stop and stars need to discover how to ‘adapt’ their career.
AJ said it is hard when a great deal of his pals think 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 actually difficult I think in our industry, the home entertainment industry and a great deal of other industries right now due to the fact that a great deal of individuals are being laid off. It does use your psychological health if you do not have that next task.
‘Myself and Curtis have invested cash, from my very first salary on Strictly I’ve constantly had that cash invested into various portfolios. Therefore, if I didn’t have a job 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 jobs out there. It’s just in some cases having to alter what it is you believe you are going to do and adjust a bit. Adapting is difficult however you do have to adjust sometimes.
‘It is necessary 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 expert dancers, we can go all over the world and teach.’
Every day, individuals are dealing with the cost of living crisis and AJ admitted he is no various and is regularly snapped back into the ‘genuine world’ as he’s seen the significant increase in everyday items.
He discussed: ‘Every single day I’m brought back to reality. I pulled up at the petrol pump today and the diesel was 10p more costly due to decisions that have actually been made much greater up than my paycheck. That’s the real world.
‘I was like, ‘What 10p more pricey from yesterday to today’, like that’s insane. I believe people forget, the expense of living and inflation’s increased.
‘Even when inflation comes down, it doesn’t suggest that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be tough for a great deal of people this year and I don’t believe it’s going to get any easier.’
Robin Windsor
Despite pulling in a remarkable ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor unfortunately passed away with simply ₤ 879 in his company’s organization account
Despite pulling in an outstanding ₤ 100,000 as a star of Strictly, Robin Windsor unfortunately died with simply ₤ 879 in his business’s service account.
The dancer was discovered dead in a London hotel in February last year, and in the wake of his passing it was revealed his company had actually not traded for a long time and according to Companies House Records was dealing with an ‘active proposition’ to be struck off.
The company Happy Feet Creative Limited was owed practically ₤ 5,000 the last time it filed accounts, but owed creditors ₤ 15,000, meaning it was ₤ 8,350 in the red.
At the height of his celeb in 2015 and 2016 he held more than ₤ 23,000 in the business and advanced himself ₤ 35,000 from the company, which was paid back.
The company had actually carried profits from a ‘wide range of contracts to provide performing arts services within the media industry’, documents said.
In the months prior to his death, Robin had been working on a Fred Olsen Cruise – alongside fellow Strictly professional Gordana Grandosek Whiddon – and published photos of himself when the boat docked in South Africa.
Robin previously informed how he was paid ₤ 100,000 a year during his time on Strictly which concerned 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 revealed his company had not traded for a long time (pictured on the show in 2013)
He also remembered one time he made ‘silly money’, telling This Is Money: ‘My dance partner and I were as soon as paid ₤ 10,000 each to remain in a high-end resort in Mauritius for a week and dance the cha-cha-cha at an event. Our dance lasted two minutes.’
He remembered in September 2022 that the ‘best’ year of his financial life was 2010, ‘my very first year on Strictly Come Dancing’.
He stated: ‘All of an unexpected, I was generating income I had only dreamt about. I most likely made about ₤ 100,000 that year – not just from Strictly but from work off the back of the program such as the tour and personal performances.
‘When you’re on prime-time TV, everyone desires a little piece of you.’
Discussing his Strictly exit, Robin said he ended up being so ‘bitter’ about not being allowed to return that he couldn’t bear to view it, and he entered into a ‘stable decrease’ after leaving the program.
Graziano Di Prima
Graziano was considerably sacked by managers in 2015 following claims of gross misconduct towards his previous celebrity partner Zara McDermott
Following his departure from the program, Graziano tried to cash on his looks on the show, with customised video messages on Cameo
Graziano was when considered a favourite amongst Strictly fans, however last year he was considerably 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 program, a ‘devastated’ Di Prima composed on Instagram: ‘I deeply regret the events that resulted in my departure from Strictly.
Strictly Come Dancing rich list: The expert dancers waltzing all the method to the bank after earning MILLIONS thanks to the show
‘My intense passion and decision to win might have affected my training routine.
‘While appreciating the BBC HR procedure, I acknowledge it’s only ideal for the sake of the program that I step away. I am distressed that I wasn’t allowed to provide a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.
‘There’s more to this story that I am not able to discuss at this time, but I am dedicated to being strong for my friends and family. I want the Strictly household nothing but success in the future.’
Following his departure from the program, Graziano attempted 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 actually capitalized their Strictly success …
Oti Mabuse
For many fans, Oti is thought about among Strictly’s most successful exports, with the dancer crowned series champion for 2 years in a row, in 2019 and 2020
Ever since, she has actually appeared as a judge on Dancing On Ice, and also earned a reported ₤ 200,000 charge for her stint on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! last year
For numerous fans, Oti is considered one of Strictly’s most effective exports, with the dancer crowned series champion for two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020.
The dancer was reported to be on a ₤ 410,000 wage before she left the show in 2022, and because her exit has amassed a big fortune with a string of successful TV gigs.
Since then, she has actually looked like a judge on Dancing On Ice, and was likewise a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and BBC’s The best Dancer, contributing to a rumoured fortune of more than ₤ 1.4 million.
Before signing up with the Strictly lineup, Oti likewise worked as a professional dancer on Strictly’s German equivalent, Let’s Dance.
Oti is noted as a director of Pure Mabuse Limited, which she set up with her hubby Marius Iepure, which was established in February 2017, and has noted assets of ₤ 510,953, according to its most current accounts.
In 2022, Oti likewise signed a big-money offer to work together with Bravissimo on a ‘self-confidence boosting’ underwear range, and she and hubby Marius likewise share a ₤ 590,000 London mansion.
Between them, Oti and Marius hold ₤ 750,000 of possessions in 4 personal companies, which they co-own. including the home firm, Lionshead, which notched up ₤ 110,582 in properties as of last year.
And Oti has actually only contributed to her fortune in current months by appearing on I’m A Star Get Me Out Of Here! where she was supposedly paid a ₤ 200,000 cost.
Kevin Clifton
Kevin Clifton was crowned Strictly champ in 2018 with Stacey Dooley, and after leaving the show in 2020, has actually cashed in with a string of phase roles
However, the dancer has formerly shared that it hasn’t constantly been easy, exposing in 2019 that he used to sleep in his car while attempting to start his performing profession
Since leaving Strictly in 2020, Kevin Clifton has actually required to the phase, performing in Strictly Ballroom, Rock of Ages and War of the Worlds.
His company Supreme Dance declared ₤ 104,993 in its newest assets with ₤ 42,234 staying after bills.
However, the dancer has actually previously shared that it hasn’t always been easy, exposing in 2019 that he used to sleep in his cars and truck while trying to start his performing profession, while managing it with a workplace task.
Speaking on his podcast The Kevin Clifton Show, he said: ‘If there’s nobody there, I’ll sleep in my car and then I can manage 2 of my dance lessons tomorrow.
‘I invested loads of time sleeping in my automobile – essentially living out of my car – and having no work. It’s not all glamour. People think we live these simple, showbiz, attractive lives and it’s not like that.
‘There’s been times where I was simply getting fired from job after task – normal workplace jobs, simply attempting to sustain my dancer profession.
‘I was essentially searching in my wallet going, I’ve simply been fired from another job. I have actually got four lessons tomorrow; I currently can’t spend for 2 of them.
‘I’m going to have to blag it with the instructor and state,” Oh, there’s been a problem at the bank. I’m going to have to provide you the cash on my next lesson.” James and Ola Jordan
Business: James and Ola Jordan have capitalized their joint weight loss in the last few years, setting up a fitness site called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 each month to subscribe
James Jordan left Strictly in 2013 with his wife Ola following suit 2 years lateer.
James has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, returned a couple of years later on for the All Stars version and won Dancing On Ice in 2019.
The couple have actually cashed in on their loss in current years, establishing a fitness website called Dance Shred where they charge ₤ 12.99 monthly to subscribe.
The set offered their Kent estate for ₤ 2.5 million previously this year and have because scaled down to a home more ‘suitable’ for their daughter Ella.
Much of their income is funnelled through their firm James and Ola Dance Academy which most just recently had ₤ 774,023 in properties and ₤ 465,002 after costs.
They earn additional cash by offering signed photos for ₤ 9.50 while Ola offers dance lessons to fans at ₤ 300 a pop.
Strictly Come DancingBen CohenBBC